Where Do We Go From Here
by who9847
Summary: In honor of the momentous occasion of THE RETURN OF THE THIN WHITE DUKE! Sarah thought she had made good her escape, and had succeeded in eking out a normal life for herself and her teenage daughter. But the Goblin King refused to relinquish his would-be queen, and has waited patiently for the opportunity to make Sarah rescind those six horrible little words.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This started as another one-shot, but it kept growing, so I decided to split it up into chapters. It won't be very long, maybe 4 or 5 chapters total, but that's considerably longer than anything I've posted to date. So here is the first installment. I'm going to work furiously to get the rest of it done by the end of the month. And, the story is no where near as dark as the first chapter makes it out to be.

Disclaimer: The Labyrinth and all its wonderful characters are not mine; I'm just borrowing them. The delectable David Bowie is not mine either, and I would very happily borrow him as well, if I could.

It was Friday night, and against her better judgment, Sarah Williams was allowing her co-workers to take her out to celebrate her promotion. Thankfully, it was only a group of two who insisted on the impromptu celebration, and Sarah decided that with such a small party, it would be easy to make an early night of it. It's not like it was a big deal, anyway. She had just been promoted from temp to permanent worker, after only five years with the company. Still, the peace of mind that came with job security was worth at least a drink, even if she was now officially in the rut of being a legal assistant. She'd had to cancel all her dreams when her father and step-mother cut her off half way through college when she got pregnant. Fortunately for her, the little bit of writing she had done while in college had honed her typing skills, a talent which proved invaluable when she suddenly found herself having to pay her own way, and prepare for the birth of a child. All things considered, she had done okay for herself and her now fifteen year old daughter. They lived comfortably enough and did not lack for necessities. Sarah did regret that she was unable to give Kimmie the luxuries which were undoubtedly considered essential by other 21st century girls. And even though a cell phone would certainly make life easier for both of them, they got along well enough without. Sarah considered herself lucky that Kimmie knew better than to ask for things like her own laptop or an iPod. Sarah would love nothing more than to be able to lavish such gifts on her, but given her status as a temp, she'd had to squirrel away money just in case she needed to go a spell without work, or, heaven forbid, either of them get sick and require expensive medical care. Being a temp meant no health insurance. Hopefully that would change now that she had changed her status to full time permanent worker. She might even be able to take Kimmie on a trip somewhere.

So as 5:00 rolled around, Sarah found herself in the ladies' room touching up her make-up. She had already called Kimmie to let her know she'd be late. Sarah trusted Kimmie implicitly. She was everything Sarah had not been at 15: responsible, mature and level-headed.

Hopefully, Sarah mused, she'd be able to make her getaway after only a couple of drinks and she could be home in time to sit down with Kimmie and watch a movie, as was their Friday night tradition.

"Ready, Sar?" asked Evelyn as she poked her head into the ladies' room. "Deb's already left to get us a table at the bar across the street."

"I'm coming," Sarah replied. She followed the petite somewhat overweight blonde toward the elevators.

"I know we've worked together for years now, but it's nice to know you're now officially a part of the team," Evelyn said good naturedly, as she put her arm around Sarah's shoulders and gave a quick squeeze. Sarah smiled at the gesture. She didn't have many friends, and she truly did appreciate having Evelyn in her life.

"Thanks, Ev. I know I don't show it very well, but. . . well, thanks. Thanks for being there for me these last few years."

"Think nothing of it, hun. Us single moms, we got to stick together. Now let's get out of here before they lock us in for the weekend!"

As they made their way across the street, Sarah had to hold her sweater tight around her to keep the chill wind of the afternoon from getting to her. It was late spring, but the blustery cold made it feel like autumn.

They entered the bar, named appropriately enough Bacchus, and despite the darkened interior, had no difficulty spotting Deb waving frantically at them from a table near the jukebox. As it was still quite early, there weren't many people there and they had waitress' almost undivided attention. Deb ordered them all a round of Kamikazes while Sarah looked at the menu to see if any of the appetizers looked tempting.

After placing their orders, the threesome sat around and caught each other up on the latest office gossip. Sarah found herself enjoying her evening out much more than she had anticipated, and before she knew it, the waitress had returned with their order of Buffalo wings and more drinks.

"What's this," Sarah asked, as the waitress put a glassful of wine down in front of her. "I didn't order this."

"It's from that guy, over there," responded the waitress, indicating a man with wild blond hair sitting hunched over his drink at the bar. Sarah looked in the direction the waitress was pointing, and gasped. It couldn't be! There was no way that self-righteous, arrogant bastard would dare show his face anywhere near her after twenty years, especially after what had happened. She tried hard to reign in her anger as she recalled how he had been the reason she had to end her friendship with Hoggle, Ludo and Didymus. It hadn't taken long for Sarah to realize that he was determined to use every means at his disposal to somehow force himself into her life. Her friends were placed in the untenable position of having to choose between loyalty to their monarch, or loyalty to their friend. Sarah did not have the heart to force them to choose, so she had done the noble thing and relinquished her hold over them. It had now been about 17 years since the last time she had summoned them through her mirror, and as Sarah stared at the back of his head, all her anger threatened to boil over. As she fought for control, she kept repeating to herself, he has no power over me he has no power over me, completely disregarding the fact that he had been the subject of several dreams over the past 20 years, and that in those dreams, he held a tremendous amount of power over her.

"Sar, what's wrong?" asked Evelyn, curious as to what could cause her friend so much obvious agitation. "Do you know him?"

"I - I'm not sure," Sarah answered tersely, as she got up and cautiously made her way to the bar. Addressing him as "your Majesty" or "Goblin King" might raise a few eyebrows, so she deliberately chose her words and addressed him as an equal. "Jareth?" she tried not to sound like she was spitting the name out, and even to her own ears didn't entirely succeed. As he turned toward her, a strong gust of wind suddenly caused the front door to burst open. Startled, Sarah looked at the door before looking back at the man with the wild hair in front of her. He was much older than she had expected, and had a sallow complexion. His large round eyes also looked toward the front door before focusing on Sarah, and she couldn't help noticing that his uneven lips barely closed over his extreme overbite. "Huh?" he said as he looked up at her, and then again at the front door as it slammed shut. "What do you want?" he asked, panic rising in his voice as his eyes quickly scanned the bar. "Why can't you leave me alone!" he cried, and with that he got up and practically ran from the bar, leaving a very confused Sarah wondering what she had done to give such a fright to the strange little man, who was obviously not him.

No one noticed the man who appeared seemingly out of thin air at the back of the bar and gave a self-satisfied smile, revealing inhumanly pointed teeth.

Sarah returned to her table, and no sooner had she sat down than she and her companions burst out laughing at the way Sarah had scared off the purveyor of her drink.

"What was that about?" Deb cried, finally able to stop laughing long enough to speak.

"I have no idea," Sarah giggled, wiping tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes.

"His loss," continued Deb, as she raised her drink for a toast. "To Sarah's mystery benefactor!"

Sarah sipped the wine the waitress had brought her, and was very pleasantly surprised. "Hey, this stuff's not bad!" she declared as she took a much more generous drink. There were more people showing up now, and the atmosphere at Bacchus was becoming a little more lively. And still, the mysterious man at the back of the bar went unnoticed. He smiled broadly as he watched Sarah gulp down her wine.

Eventually, the conversation turned to ex-boyfriends, a topic that Sarah's two friends had very similar and intense opinions on. As Deb finished her tirade about the last unfortunate wretch she dated, she lifted up her glass for another toast. "To being single!"

"To being single," Evelyn chimed in.

"Sorry, but I'm out," gushed Sarah, as she tipped her glass over to show that it was empty. She was feeling a little woozy. She mentally chided herself for drinking too quickly and vowed to be a more responsible drinker for the rest of the evening.

"Well in that case, I shall be eternally grateful if you will allow me to buy you another round," came a smooth as velvet voice from behind Sarah. She turned around a little too quickly and found herself losing her balance and almost falling right into the arms of a very handsome stranger. "Hi!" she managed to gasp as she looked into his crystalline blue yes. He held his arms out to her to help steady her as he smiled at her. Sarah held his gaze, mesmerized by him, and was suddenly embarrassed by the way she had been ogling him. "Umm. . . I'm Sarah," she finally sputtered.

"Pleased to meet you Sarah," and he took her hand and kissed it. Sarah felt herself blushing before he continued, "Now, what precisely were you drinking?"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure," she started awkwardly. "The waitress said a gentleman had bought it for me, but I think I scared him off when I went to thank him for it." She repressed a giggle as she recalled how he had not so much been scared off, but rather fled from her presence. She looked up at the man standing before her, vaguely aware of the room spinning. He had elegantly chiseled features and sandy blond hair, and he reminded her of someone, but at the moment she didn't care to prod her memory too hard as she was thoroughly enjoying just looking at him.

He just smiled at Sarah as he called the waitress over. "The lady would like another of whatever it was you brought her last, and actually, make it two. How about you ladies," he continued, turning toward Deb and Evelyn.

"Oh, we're fine, loverboy," Deb giggled as she gave Evelyn a knowing look. In all the time they had worked with Sarah, neither had ever known her to have a boyfriend. To their knowledge, Sarah never went out and did not date, which is why tonight was so special. And now a really hot guy seemed to have taken an interest in their friend. While Deb would have no qualms about hooking up with a guy she just met, she knew Sarah wouldn't. Putting aside her normally jovial nature, and trying hard to think clearly through her buzz, Deb looked him straight in the eyes and gave him a stern warning. "Just so we're clear, buddy, Sarah's not your typical chick you pick up at a bar, so don't you dare treat her like it. She has a kid, and she takes her role as a mom very seriously. So seriously that this is the first time in the five years I've known her that she's agreed to go out with us. Now, if you're still interested," and at this point Deb raised her glass before continuing, "you have our blessing," she finished as she took another drink.

Sarah, meanwhile, was blushing furiously at hearing her friend's words. "Deb, I'm not some helpless teenager who's never been around guys and bars. I can take care of myself."

"Sar, we couldn't give a rat's ass about you," Evelyn joked. "We just want to make sure you don't expose Kimmie to the kinds of flakes and losers you pick up at bars," and turning toward the mystery man continued, "no offense, and hopefully you'll prove yourself otherwise."

"None taken!" he replied, laughing and appearing to be highly amused by this exchange. The waitress arrived with the drinks, and as Mr. Blue-Eyes handed Sarah her drink, he asked, "So, I take it Kimmie is your daughter?"

Sarah, taking another swig of the wonderful whatever-it-was, nodded her head enthusiastically as she swallowed. He watched carefully as she drank and smiled, and if his smile seemed a little less good natured, perhaps even a touch menacing, particularly the way his teeth appeared to be a little too sharp, no one noticed.

Some time later, the foursome stood outside Bacchus, having been forced out at closing time. Despite the biting cold wind which was still blowing, their spirits were high, and although Evelyn and Deb seemed eager to continue the celebration, Sarah suddenly remembered that she had promised Kimmie she'd be home early.

"You three go on. I halftago home. Kimmie's waiting." Sarah stumbled slightly as she tried leaving while rummaging through her purse to find her car keys. Having succeeded in locating them, she was about to wave them about triumphantly when they slipped through her fingers and went flying toward the first man whose company Sarah had enjoyed on a purely personal level since . . . well, ever.

"My dear," he began as he bent over to pick up the keys, "neither you nor your friends are in any condition to drive home." He grabbed Sarah by the shoulders and gently guided her back to rejoin her friends.

"Atsokay," rambled Deb. "Evvy here lives juss a couple blocks down that-a-way," she continued, pointing to her left.

"Other way," giggled Evelyn, spinning Deb so that the hand she was still holding out in front of her to point the way was now pointing in the right direction.

"Jussthisway," continued Deb, ignoring Evelyn's interruption. "Me and Sar can crash there tonight."

Sarah, for her part, slowly shook her head as she leaned against the wall and said, "Nope. Kimmie'll worry. Gotta go home." She closed her eyes as she continued leaning, hoping to ease some of the vertigo she was feeling so she could at least walk straight.

"Sar, you can call from my place, she'll be fine," Evelyn started, but Sarah cut her off.

"Nope, gotta go home," she said as she opened her purse and began fumbling again.

"Would you by chance happen to be looking for these?" asked her tall handsome companion with an amused glint in his eye, holding up Sarah's keys. Speaking to Evelyn and Deb, he asked, "If you two ladies are quite certain you can make the walk to Evelyn's, I would more than happy to escort Sarah home."

Deb nodded, and Evelyn replied, "Sure, won't be the first time."

"Well then, Sarah, shall we? That is, if you are capable of providing directions," he teased, grinning wickedly as he held his arm out for her.

"Oh, I think I know my way home," Sarah slurred as she took his arm. Had she been sober, that grin would have set off alarms which would likely have resulted in her taking Evelyn's offer to sleep there. And she would have realized that neither she nor her companions ever thought to ask the man his name, and at no point during the evening did he volunteer it. But she wasn't sober, so there were no alarms, and no one thought it odd that they had just spent an entire evening socializing with a man whose name no one knew. And Sarah ended up accepting his offer to drive her home. And after being such a gentleman, she couldn't just leave him outside in the cold wind to wait until his cab arrived, so she invited him into her apartment to wait.

As the morning sunlight shone in Sarah's eyes, she begrudgingly roused herself from slumber, all too aware of the pounding in her head. She wanted desperately to go back to sleep to see if it would make the jack hammering stop, but as consciousness slowly flooded through her, memories of the night before began replaying in her mind as half-formed images, making her head hurt even more. She had gone out with Deb and Evelyn, and had had way too much to drink. And there had been a man, a very good looking man, and more drinking. Sarah mentally winced at this thought and hoped desperately that her behavior had not been too grossly inappropriate. Public drunkenness was bad enough, but she suddenly realized that she could not remember how she got home. And that's when she noticed that she wasn't wearing anything - she was lying in bed in the nude. "Oh, Sarah Williams, what have you done!" she groaned out loud. "You finally get a night out and you make a spectacle of yourself."

And suddenly there was movement next to her, and an arm snaked itself around her waist as a velvet smooth British accented voice purred in her ear, "Oh, come now, precious thing, it wasn't that bad."


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I am so sorry for taking so long to post! Despite my intention to post on a weekly basis, life interfered. First my father suffered a stroke, a mercifully mild one from which he's already mostly recovered, and then my entire household was struck down with the flu.

Anyhow, thank you for hanging in there. I now present you with the second installment of my first multi-chapter effort. And while I greatly appreciate all of you lovely people who are following the story, a few reviews would also be appreciated!

Chapter 2

In one swift move, Sarah had disentangled herself from him and had rolled off the bed and onto the floor. Her throbbing headache was instantly forgotten with the shock of finding herself in bed with the Goblin King. She sat on the floor, stunned, and as she became aware of the fact that she was still naked, she tried unsuccessfully to cover herself up with her arms and hands. Jareth watched with amusement at her ineffective attempts to cover herself up and chuckled as he quipped, "Oh, Sarah, really. This false modesty is quite unbecoming, especially after last night, and that delightful little thing you did. I had no idea you were so . . . talented!"

Sarah felt her face burn red with shame, which was very quickly giving way to anger. "YOU! What are you doing here? You have no power over me, or have you forgotten!" She managed to control her fury to keep from railing at him at the top of her lungs. Nevertheless, tears of rage began pooling in her eyes.

Jareth continued to look at her with his trademark smirk as he explained his presence. "Oh, yes, I remember how you banished me from your life after you ran my Labyrinth. But as with all contracts, there are loopholes, an escape clause, if you will."

Sarah tried to make sense of his words, but was having difficulty understanding anything. All she could focus on was that she was naked in front of the Goblin King, and she was in the very vulnerable position of being crouched on the floor trying to cover her nakedness. She covetously looked at her robe, hanging on the hook on the back of the door. There was no way she could reach it without standing and walking across the room in front of Jareth.

Jareth turned his gaze toward the object of Sarah's desire, and if possible, gave her an even smirkier smirk. "Oh, would you like that?" he asked, as he pulled the covers off himself and stood to retrieve the item in question. Sarah quickly looked away as she realized he was in the same state of undress as she, except he appeared to be quite unaffected by it. As arrogant as the Goblin King was, she wasn't surprised at his lack of shame.

And suddenly, he was standing directly in front of her, dangling her robe before her as she continued to furiously stare at anything but him. "Thank you," she said weakly as she took the robe, and first used it to shield herself from him as she stood, and then contorted to put it on without revealing herself. Now that she was able to stand, she quickly scanned her room and was dismayed at not finding discarded clothing strewn about. Inwardly groaning in frustration, she realized he must have used magic to undress them last night. And given how smug he was acting, she was not about to give him the satisfaction of knowing just how uncomfortable his nakedness was making her by asking him to conjure himself some clothes. So she took a deep breath, stood up straight, and turned to face him. "Now, would you please care to explain what you're doing here?" she asked in her most commanding tone.

"It's quite simple, my dear," he started, and Sarah forcibly repressed a shudder at being called his 'dear.' "You summoned me."

"I did no such thing!" Sarah replied indignantly.

Jareth chuckled as he continued. "Sarah, Sarah. For someone who has always been fascinated by magical lore, I'm surprised that you know so little of the power of names."

"The power of names?" Sarah asked, as she felt a knot begin to form in her stomach. She suddenly remembered the man with the wild hair from the bar last night. She had mistaken him for Jareth, and as she approached him, oh no, she silently groaned. Thinking he was Jareth, she had said his name aloud. The look of horror on her face told Jareth that she now understood where he was going with his explanation.

"Last night, you said my name. You summoned me, thereby giving me power and invalidating your declaration from twenty years ago." He didn't tell her that he had watched her for years, since she had so callously dismissed her so-called friends from her life, waiting an opportunity to present itself. He didn't tell her how suddenly a few days ago, a chain of events began to unfold which provided such an opportunity when he had learned of Sarah's pending promotion. Then, there was unfortunate wretch in the bar, whose drug-addicted daughter had left him saddled with three screaming toddlers, who was somehow able to correctly recall a rumored legend from his youth to summon him. He was so feeble he never stood a chance at traversing the Labyrinth. As Jareth saw his opportunity come together, the thought of being able to go to Sarah made him feel particularly generous, so he offered the old man an alternate means of winning back his grandchildren. After placing the suggestion of taking Sarah out to drinks in the subconscious of that simpleton Deb, Jareth gave the old man a wig and one very simple instruction. All he had to do was sit at the bar and keep his back turned toward the table with the three ladies. Jareth had taken care of the rest. Of course, Jareth's repeated appearances had left the old man's nerves somewhat frazzled, and had almost been Jareth's undoing when he arrived at the bar. The oldster took one look at Jareth as he blustered in with the wind and decided enough was enough and ran away, never even bothering to ask what had become of the children. Jareth made a mental note that the children still needed to be returned. The old man had fulfilled his end of the bargain, and now Jareth would have to fulfill his as well.

And now, here he was, in Sarah's apartment, in her very bedroom! He briefly considered just snatching her away, but there was the question of Sarah's daughter. He was unsure what to do about her, but he was reasonably certain that just leaving her behind would not go over particularly well with his would-be queen. So he decided to engage in some friendly verbal sparring while he thought about how best to handle the situation. "After twenty years, how could I refuse an invitation from an old friend, a chance to visit and catch up. And I must say, Sarah, your welcome has been quite warm. I have enjoyed my visit immensely!" he purred lasciviously.

"Yeah, well it's been nice seeing you, too," Sarah retorted through clenched teeth, her ire positively bristling at hearing him make light of the fact that he had gotten her drunk and taken advantage of her. "Now kindly get dressed and get out!" And not necessarily in that order, she added mentally.

"No," came the Goblin King's reply. "I'm on holiday this weekend, and I've decided to spend it with you. Should anything occur, I've instructed the goblins to look for me here. And besides, after all the gushing you did last night about your daughter, I would very much like to meet her."

Sarah just stared at him and realized he was deadly serious. "What?"

"I said, I should like to meet your daughter," Jareth repeated patiently.

Sarah felt like the floor had just been pulled out from under her. "You - what? Oh. . . but, but - you can't," she said nervously. There was no way in hell she was going to allow the Goblin King anywhere near her daughter! "No! In fact, she can't find you here!"

"I'm not leaving until you've introduced me," Jareth replied coolly.

"Please," she begged in a heartfelt tone.

Jareth knew that if he allowed Sarah to dismiss him from her life like this, he might never get another chance to reclaim her. "Sorry, precious. I would like to be more accommodating, but you have piqued my curiosity. I should like to see if she possesses your spirit and your pluck."

"No, you don't understand," Sarah replied sadly. "Years ago, I made myself a promise, and now that Kimmie is old enough to understand about relationships, well, we sort of have an understanding. We don't date, we don't sleep around. We don't bring home guys unless we're in a committed relationship. It's my way of being certain Kimmie stays focused on school and it keeps me focused on being a better mother and a good role model for her." There were tears falling from her eyes now, and Jareth almost felt sympathetic. "So you understand why you can't stay?"

Jareth looked at Sarah and then smiled that infuriating smile of his. "Perhaps you should have thought of that before you brought me home and had your wicked little way with me."

"Now look here, Goblin King!" she hissed while trying desperately to keep her voice down so Kimmie wouldn't hear, but Jareth just waved her off and continued without missing a beat. A plan was starting to form, and he would not allow Sarah to deter him.

"The way I see it, you have two options. You can introduce me as just some random man you met last night and invited into your bed. Except that such an admission is not very befitting of the role model you purport to be, not to mention that it would mean that you willingly disregarded your 'understanding' and brought home and bedded a man who means nothing to you." He almost choked on the last seven words, afraid of how true they might be. "Kimmie might forgive you, but then again, she might resent having a mother with loose morals, who won't think twice about going back on her word and will bed any man who propositions her." He paused before continuing to allow Sarah to digest the meaning of his words and saw that they had the desired effect on her. She hung her head in shame, because that is exactly how she perceived the previous night's events. "Or," he continued, "You could introduce me as your boyfriend, thereby keeping her respect for you intact." He could not help feeling smug, because he realized that if could win over the daughter, his conquest of Sarah would be much easier.

"I already have a boyfriend," Sarah said matter-of-factly, hoping she sounded convincing.

"No, you don't," Jareth replied with a knowing smile.

"Well, then I'll just have to tell her the truth!" Sarah retorted defiantly.

Curse this woman! Even now she continued to defy him. Looking at her intently, Jareth advanced on her with a dangerous look in his eyes. He finally spoke, his words coming slowly and deliberately. "And what exactly would you tell her, precious? How you were a spoiled brat who resented having to take care of her baby brother? How close you came to accepting everything I offered you in exchange for him?" He continued advancing on her, forcing her to step back to keep some distance between them. "How you regretted your decision almost immediately after making it? Would you tell her of the dreams you've had?" The look of shock and horror on her face confirmed his suspicion. "Oh, yes precious, I do know what you dream of," he continued. Her back was now against the wall, but Jareth continued closing the distance between them as he spoke. "I'm sure your 15 year old daughter would be very interested in hearing about that." Finally trapping her against the wall, he placed his forearms on the wall on either side of her head and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Remind me again, Sarah, how old were you when we first met?"

Sarah glowered at him as she pulled her robe tighter against her body. "I hate you."

It was as they stood thus that Kimmie burst into Sarah's room. "Hey, mom, I tried waiting up for you, but - OH JEEZ, MOM!" Kimmie roared as she noticed Jareth and averted her eyes. "A little warning!" She nearly tripped over herself in her haste to get out of her mother's room which was currently occupied by her mother and a strange naked man.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: My chapters were coming out a little long (6-8k words each!), so I had to cut them up into smaller chapters. Which means this little story is going to be closer to 10 chapters instead of the 4-5 I had originally promised.

And thank you for all the positive feedback! It's good to know somebody's reading.

* * *

"Kimmie, I can explain," Sarah called out to her daughter as she also fell over herself trying to get around the Goblin King to follow Kimmie. She turned to Jareth, who had thrown himself onto her bed and lay there in all his naked glory, looking at her with a big mischievous grin on his face. "You are so going to pay for this!" Sarah growled at him as she stormed out of the room.

Sarah entered the living room and found Kimmie in near hysterics. Silently cursing the Goblin King, she approached her daughter to try to calm her down.

"What the hell was that about, mom!" Kimmie cried. "What about our deal! And if you're going to back out of it, you could at least put a note on the door to warn me before I just walk in on you while you're. . . you're. . . OH EWWW!" she screamed.

Sarah felt herself tearing up as she realized how disillusioned her daughter was. She would rather run the Labyrinth again, ten times, than face the accusing look in Kimmie's eyes. "Oh, Kimmie," she started. "I'm so sorry! I know how disappointed you are in me." She walked up to Kimmie to give her a reassuring hug while she explained. "I -"

But Kimmie just shook her off. "You know what? Just never mind, mom. I don't want to hear whatever excuse. . . just - forget it," Kimmie replied icily as she turned to walk away from her mother.

Sarah felt her heart breaking at her daughter's accusatory tone. Damn Jareth! She had faced the fierys, the goblin horde, and had even made their master back down before her. The one thing she couldn't do, however, was disappoint her daughter.

"Kimmie, it's not like that. Jareth and I. . ." she began, nearly choking on her words. "We - we've been dating for a while now." The words left a bitter aftertaste, but it was preferable to having Kimmie think the worst, although she was hard pressed to believe that anything could be worse than having Kimmie believe she had feelings for that arrogant jerk.

Kimmie looked at her incredulously. "You've been seeing someone, and you haven't told me?" The hurt look in her eyes told Sarah she still wasn't in the clear.

"I didn't say anything because. . ." she thought furiously to come up with a believable lie. ". . . well, I didn't think it was worth mentioning until I was sure we had a real connection, you know? Something that will last." She repressed a shudder at the thought of having that kind of intimacy with Jareth.

"Oh," was all Kimmie could say as she mulled over her mother's seemingly heartfelt confession. She finally looked up at Sarah, smiling broadly and said, "Mom, that's great! You have a boyfriend!" And with that, she sprang at her mother and gave her a fierce hug. "I knew sooner or later someone beside me would see how awesome you are!"

Sarah tried her best to look happy, but inwardly she was falling apart at the thought of deceiving her daughter so badly.

Back in the bedroom, Jareth had been paying close attention to what Sarah told Kimmie. He let out the breath he had not realized he had been holding at hearing Sarah's "confession." Knowing that lying to her daughter was not easy for Sarah, he decided the least he could do in return was play nice for a while. He strode over to the mirror and conjured himself what he hoped would be considered appropriate attire: tight boot-cut black jeans, a fitted black tee shirt and matching black biker boots. He toned down his facial features, similar to what he had done the previous evening, only this time he kept his hair long and pulled it back into a pony tail. Satisfied as he could be with such mundane attire, he took a deep breath and stepped forth into the living room.

Sarah and Kimmie were sitting on the couch talking quietly. Upon noticing him, Kimmie bounced up, and grinning broadly at him said, "Good morning!"

Jareth slowly walked up to her and extended his hand, looking rather sheepish. "Good morning. You must be Kimmie." Kimmie took his hand and shook it vigorously as he continued. "I'm Jareth."

"It's nice to meet you," she said enthusiastically.

Sarah, immensely uncomfortable with the whole situation, was unable to look either one of them in the eye, so she just sat quietly and prayed Jareth wouldn't embarrass her any further.

"It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Kimmie," Jareth continued. "Sarah speaks of you often."

"Yeah, well," Kimmie started, looking down at her mother, "I'm afraid I really can't say the same about you."

During the uncomfortable silence that followed, Jareth strode to the couch and sat down next to Sarah, letting his arm drop over the back of the couch and over her shoulders. Sarah reigned in the alarm she felt at having Jareth in such close proximity, and turned to him to shoot him a venomous glare. Jareth took it all in his stride and smiled at her. Then looking up at Kimmie began, "Kimmie, I would like to apologize for what happened earlier. I should have realized that he last thing you would have expected was to find a naked man in your mother's room. I should have taken the appropriate measures to prevent such an occurrence."

Sarah was surprised at hearing the Goblin King sounding so contrite. She looked up at him and was even more surprised to see that there was nary a trace of a smirk or sardonic grin.

"Oh, that's okay," Kimmie replied. "I'm over it."

"So, Sarah my love," Jareth began as he turned his attention to the woman desperately trying to shrink away from him, despite the fact that he had his arm around her shoulders. "How about we all get dressed and go out to breakfast? My treat, of course." He took advantage of the situation to satisfy a curiosity he had harbored for years, and shifted the position of the arm he had wrapped about Sarah so he could stroke her hair.

Feeling Jareth's hand on her head, Sarah snapped her out of her reverie, and she quickly stood up. "Oh, Jareth," she all but jeered his name. "That's a wonderful idea." She turned to leave.

Not to be outdone, Jareth also stood up, and before Sarah had a chance to walk away, he placed a hand on her waist and said, "Not so fast, love. How am I supposed to help you dress if you take off without me?" Thoroughly enjoying Sarah's mortification, Jareth smiled and turned to Kimmie, "Young lady, I suggest you get dressed as well!"

"Cool! I'll be ready to go in ten." Kimmie was too excited at the prospect of going out to breakfast to be disturbed by Jareth's allusion to the intimacy he supposedly shared with her mother. She scampered off to her room to get herself ready to go.

Once back in the bedroom and behind closed doors, Sarah shook off the offending hand as she sat down on the bed to rub her temples. The adrenaline surge from finding herself in bed with Jareth and then dealing with a hysterical Kimmie was wearing off, reminding her that she was still very hung over from the night before. "Just what the hell are you playing at?" she whispered at the Goblin King through gritted teeth.

Jareth looked at her in mock surprise. "Why Sarah, I'm just trying to be your loving and attentive boyfriend. You wouldn't want Kimmie to get suspicious about me?" Then realizing that something was wrong, he sat down next to her and asked, "Sarah, are you all right?"

About a dozen emotions all surfaced at once, erupting in a flood of tears. "NO! I'm not all right! I got drunk last night, woke up in bed with you, I just told a whopper of a lie to my daughter, and I have the headache from hell!" she sobbed, gripping her head, as if she could squeeze the pain out.

Jareth just looked at her shamefaced. He was solely responsible for everything that ailed Sarah this morning. Well, he mused, at least he could remedy her headache. He leaned forward and attempted to place his hands on either side of her head, but Sarah once again shook him off.

"Knock it off!" she snapped at him, thinking it was just another lame attempt at mock affection.

"Sarah, if you will just permit me. . ." he started in an exasperated tone as he again tried to initiate physical contact with her, "I can at least take the headache away."

She looked at him suspiciously, but allowed him to continue. He placed his hands on her cheeks and gently applied pressure. After about ten seconds, he let go, and much to Sarah's surprise, her headache was indeed gone. She took a deep, cleansing breath, and looked up at him. "Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome," he said as he stood and began walking toward the door.

"What are you doing?" Sarah asked in a tone that sounded almost alarmed.

"I'm giving you your privacy so you can get dressed. I'll be waiting for you in the living room," he said, pausing at the door.

"Well, you're going to be waiting a while," she replied. "I'm not going anywhere until I've had a shower. You know, you might want to freshen up a little, too."

"Why precious," he purred, "Is that an invitation?" He ducked out of the way just in time to avoid being hit by the pillow Sarah threw at him and left her alone, as promised.

Approximately 45 minutes later, Kimmie and Sarah Williams, together with Jareth the Goblin King headed out the door and enjoyed a pleasant spring morning while they walked the four blocks to the nearby IHOP. Sarah was glad the weather had improved from the previous day.

"So . . . ," Kimmie began, looking expectantly at Sarah and Jareth as they finally took their seats at the booth that had been prepared for them. She had insisted the two lovebirds sit next to each other, much to Sarah's consternation. Jareth, ever the gentleman, had insisted Sarah be seated first, thereby trapping her up against the wall as he took his seat on the bench next to her. He was absolutely in his element as he scooted up close to her and casually let his arm fall around Sarah's shoulders. Self-important ham, she thought to herself as she tried her hardest to look like she was enjoying being the recipient of his affections. When both of the adults refused to accept Kimmie's prompt, she decided to be a little more direct. Looking her mother in the eyes, she finally said, "Well, spill!"

Sarah was reluctant to elaborate on her supposed relationship with Jareth for several reasons. First, there was the whole lying to Kimmie aspect that she was very uncomfortable with, and which only added to her dislike for Jareth, not to mention the fact that she really didn't know what to say. She and Jareth had not had time to come up with a plausible cover story, and without one she feared discovery more than anything. Thankfully, the arrival of their waitress brought them all to the realization that they needed to look at their menus to decide what to eat. They ordered their beverages and promised to be ready to order when she returned with them, allowing Sarah a few more minutes to collect herself before proceeding with this ill-conceived game of Jareth's.

The waitress returned with one cup of black coffee, one cup of Earl Grey and one tall glass of ice cold milk. True to their word, Sarah, Kimmie and Jareth each placed their orders, and Kimmie continued with her clumsy attempt at a third degree.

"Okay, mom, seriously! You can't just spring a boyfriend on me out of the blue and not expect me to have questions. Especially one as hot as Jareth," she added, glancing quickly at Jareth before continuing. "Honestly, mom, I thought you were sort of an ice queen and above noticing things like hot guys."

Sarah groaned internally at Kimmie's assessment of both her and Jareth. Great, she thought, I'm an ice queen, and Mr. Tight Pants' already over-inflated ego just got bigger!

Jareth, on the other hand, was highly amused by Kimmie's assessment of Sarah and quickly silenced her cry if indignation with a hearty chuckle. "Well, my love," he teased, "it seems you've managed to give your daughter a very different impression of you than I have. You see, Kimmie, I find Sarah to be a very spirited, willful and at times volatile woman. Now throw in her wit, intellect and beauty, and - well, I never really stood a chance." He was looking at Sarah as he said this, and had a tender, almost wistful look on his face.

Sarah smiled gratefully at him and was about to speak, but was cut off by Kimmie. "Ooh, do tell, please, because apparently I was asking the wrong person!"

"Well, would it interest you to know that your mum was your age when I first met her?" Jareth continued.

"Really?" Kimmie exclaimed. "Oh, my gosh! High school sweethearts who reconnected again later in life! How romantic is that?"

"Well, we weren't exactly sweethearts," Jareth said remorsefully.

"No," said Sarah, finally feeling comfortable enough with the topic to break her silence. "The nature of our relationship back then can only be described as adversarial."

"Oooh! The plot thickens!" Kimmie quipped. "So what happened?" Her eyes as round as saucers, she leaned forward over the table, propping one elbow squarely on it and rested her chin on her palm and waited for the ill-fated lovers to relate how they came to their, for now, happy ending.

"Well," Sarah began, looking at Jareth and hoping he wouldn't contradict her, "it all began when Jareth took something valuable from me, and refused to return it unless I participated in this sick little game he had set up."

Jareth stiffened almost imperceptibly, but due to his close proximity to Sarah, she was able to notice and could not help doing a mental jig in response to finally having been able one-up him. It was during this brief break in the conversation that the waitress arrived with their food. In an attempt to postpone the discomfort he knew Sarah was planning on inflicting on him, Jareth suggested they put their conversation on hold and enjoy their food while it was still hot.

Kimmie, having the voracious appetite of a teenage girl, was the first to finish, and as she polished off the last bite of her waffles, she looked at her mother and Jareth, curiosity positively bristling from her being. "Okay, I'm all ears. So tell me about the 'sick little game.' Did you guys fall for each other right after that, or did you have to wait twenty years for your happily ever after?"

"Oh, sweetie," Sarah began sadly, "you're a sensible girl. You should know there's no such thing as happily ever after." Sarah had actually given much thought to what she was going to tell her daughter while she ate, and she decided to be as vague as possible. Jareth had been absolutely right in his assumption that she didn't want Kimmie knowing the truth about them.

However, as she was about to begin her narrative, giving as few details as possible of course, Jareth interjected, "Actually, Sarah my love, I didn't take anything from you. You gave it to me, and when you changed your mind, I offered you a fair exchange. Complete a challenge, and you were free to take back the item you gave me."

Sarah wanted nothing more than to slap that smug look off his face, but instead she forced a smile and coolly asked, "All right, I'll let you tweak it your way if you'll answer me this. Was cheating always a part of your plan, or was it only something you resorted to when it became obvious you were going to lose?"

Jareth was taken aback by her question, and despite his fervent desire to maintain the illusion of being Sarah's amorous companion, her tone was rankling him. "Cheat? Cheat! Precious, I don't need to cheat. And even if I did, you cheated first, by asking for help."

"You never said I couldn't," Sarah countered. "And I think you were more upset by the fact that the . . . 'friends' you sent to distract me found your style of play distasteful and decided to help me instead."

Kimmie sat and watched and listened, absolutely enthralled by the discourse taking place before her. She couldn't help thinking that given the level of animosity the two were displaying while relating how they met, the love that eventually took root must be of earth shattering proportions.

"Don't you dare mention those three traitors!" Jareth hissed.

"Friends, Jareth. They ended up being my friends!" Sarah's temper had now flared, and all pretense was gone. She thoroughly hated this man, and for the moment she completely forgot that she had told her daughter he was her boyfriend.

"Oh, yes. I was witness to just what kind of friend you were to them. How one day, for no apparent reason, you demanded that they stop bothering you. And they had the nerve to ask if I'd had anything to do with it!" Jareth paused and looked somber as he recalled the dejected trio marching into the castle to ask if he knew why their friend had cut off all communication with them. "After you so callously abandoned them, they turned to me for solace."

Sarah was nearly in tears at hearing this. "They had been miserable long before I stopped calling, Jareth. With your constant pestering of 'Tell Sarah this,' or 'Give Sarah that' and your demanding to know every time we met, every time we spoke, and everything we spoke of. They hated feeling like they needed your permission to be friends with me. They never complained, of course, but I could see the stress they were under. You were forcing them to choose - loyalty to you or loyalty to me. They freely gave it to me, but they owed it to you. So rather than allow you to continue torturing them, I made the choice for them."

Jareth was dumbstruck at hearing this confession. Here he had been, feeling all high and mighty as he made his assertion. It had never occurred to him that maybe Sarah had had reasons of her own for doing what she did.

Absolutely unaware of the drama playing out at her table, the waitress came by and placed the bill in front of Jareth, snapping them both back to the present. They both looked at Kimmie apologetically. Jareth stood up, pulled out his "wallet" (a feat which Sarah was convinced involved magic because there was no way anyone could pull anything out of jeans that tight with so much ease) and rifled though it until he found what he sought, namely a Visa card. Sarah offered up a silent prayer that whatever magic Jareth used to produce the credit card was thorough enough to let the payment process. Otherwise, Sarah would be on the hook for a very expensive breakfast.

It was Kimmie who finally had the nerve to break the awkward silence. "I can't wait to hear how this story ends. Because from what I've heard so far, you two should have throttled each other by now, and not ended up all lovey-dovey in mom's bed last night."

They waitress returned with the bill for Jareth to sign, and much to Sarah's surprise, Jareth did not ask for help. He added the appropriate tip and slipped the credit card back into his wallet, which in turn slid quite easily back into his too-tight jeans.

As they got up to leave, Jareth let Kimmie lead the way. When Sarah slid out of the booth, he gently grabbed her arm to hold her back for a moment. "Sarah," he began glumly. "I'm so sorry. I never realized that I was the reason you stopped calling on them. Please, forgive me."

Sarah could tell he was earnest, but she was still too angry to forgive him. "Forget it," she responded coldly. "What's done is done."

Sarah could tell from the pained look on Jareth's face that the barb had hit its intended mark.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: As a thank you to all my lovely readers, I'm posting a bonus chapter this week. Things will momentarily heat up between Jareth and Sarah. I upped the rating a tad for language.

I still own nothing (except for Kimmie and the Frappuccino I had at lunch time).

* * *

Chapter 4

Sarah was dreading the walk home, but not nearly as much as she was dreading what would happen once they actually got there. The Goblin King seemed to delight in wreaking havoc in her life. After destroying her friendships with Hoggle, Ludo and Didymus, he now seemed bent on destroying her relationship with Kimmie. After their blow-up at IHOP, she did not relish the idea of returning home and maintaining the farce of being the loving couple. So it was with great relief that she agreed when Kimmie suggested they swing by the park on the way home. She suspected that Kimmie just wanted to be seen, or rather wanted Jareth to be seen, and possibly be the subject of some juicy gossip. Nothing exciting ever happened in Kimmie's life, and her mom having a boyfriend was definitely a news-worthy event. Well, Sarah thought, it would be easier to maintain the façade in public around strangers than it would at home with only Kimmie around. And so, Sarah found herself walking alone with Jareth down a well worn path while Kimmie ran ahead of them to the pedal-boat shop to see if there was anyone she could show off to.

As they were coming around some trees within Kimmie's line of sight, they were overtaken by a couple of other teenagers Sarah recognized from Kimmie's school.

"Oh, hey Ms. Williams," one of them called, recognizing her, and pausing for a moment to check out Jareth. Then, noticing Kimmie a little further up, the two girls ran over to her and immediately began whispering and giggling among themselves.

Sarah knew she and Jareth were the topic of their conversation from the way the girls kept looking over at them.

"We seem to be the recipients of some unwanted attention," Jareth said to try to break the ice.

"No," Sarah said. "You seem to be the recipient, and knowing your ego, I doubt attention of any kind is unwanted."

"Sarah, you wound me!" Jareth was only half playing when he said this, because he knew she was still very angry with him after having been so thoroughly reminded of how she had sacrificed three friends who apparently were a lot dearer to her than he had initially thought, as a result of his meddling. "However, in light of the fact that we do seem to have an audience, I suggest we put on a show for them," he continued seductively. He came up behind her and placing his hands on her waist, he leaned in and whispered in her ear, "What do you suppose they'll make of this?"

Sarah fought the urge to push him away. It was going to be hard enough confessing the truth to Kimmie after Jareth was done getting his jollies. The poor girl didn't need the public humiliation of having her mother break up with her new boyfriend in front of her friends. So she played along as best she could, which is to say she kept still while Jareth continued his apparent seduction. He reached up and gently pulled her hair over one shoulder so he could have unhindered access to her neck. He bent his head down and nuzzled the newly exposed skin, savoring her luscious scent, while tightening his grip around her waist. "I meant it earlier when I said I was sorry, Sarah," he breathed onto her bare skin. "In fact," he continued, "if you want to renew your acquaintance with them, I promise not to interfere."

Sarah felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end at the sensation of his warm breath on her skin. Thinking that her body was finally beginning to feel some well warranted panic at his close proximity, and that her gooseflesh was a natural manifestation of her panic, she took a deep breath to calm herself. Except that as she exhaled, the sound that came from her could only be described as a moan. And why was her head now tilting slightly to the side, giving Jareth better access to her neck and shoulder? Instantly, Jareth's hands were gone from her waist as he wrapped both his arms around her, pulling her flush against him. Sarah's head was swimming as she fought with herself. She knew she should pull away and make him stop. But the truth of the matter was that what he was doing felt good.

"Stop that," Sarah finally managed to croak half-heartedly as she made a feeble attempt to break free of his grasp. Her eyes were practically rolling back from the sensations Jareth was evoking.

"Stop what, love?" Jareth asked as he began trailing kisses up toward her ear.

"That," she breathed, as she fought for some semblance of self-control. "Just what do you expect me to tell Kimmie after you've finished whatever little game you're playing and leave?" Thinking of Kimmie centered her and she found herself coming out of the Jareth-induced fog she was in.

But Jareth's response sent her mind reeling again. With his head still buried in her neck, he gave a gentle nip and whispered, "And just what makes you think I'm going anywhere, precious?"

And then suddenly, the mood was gone as Kimmie bellowed, "Just what the hell do you two think you're doing?"

The startled couple looked up at her, and Jareth was not surprised to find the daughter's anger was almost as menacing as the mother's. Sarah colored at having been caught in such a compromising situation, and Jareth looked genuinely surprised, for he honestly did not know what had Kimmie so riled.

"You know you're behaving inappropriately when Katie and Michelle get embarrassed by what they're seeing. Mom, it looked like he was about to start undressing you and have his way with you, and you were letting him! Oh my God, mom! I know you don't have much practice with the whole dating thing, but have a little decency and lay off the PDAs."

Jareth for his part was a little flummoxed. He had a basic understanding of the offense he was accused of, but was unsure exactly what Kimmie was asking him and Sarah to do. He looked at Sarah and tentatively muttered, "PDAs?" hoping she would enlighten him.

Sarah's terse reply consisted of four words, "Public displays of affection." Turning toward her daughter, Sarah continued in her most sincere tone, "Kimmie, I'm really sorry about that." Looking accusingly at Jareth she continued, "I promise it won't happen again." And there was that infuriating self-satisfied smirk again! He knew he had gotten to her, and he knew she would have to force herself to be extra vigilant so it didn't happen again. And she knew he was going to do everything he could to make sure it did happen again.

Kimmie looked at the two, unsure what to make of them. The story they had related to her over breakfast left little doubt that there were strong feelings between them, but as each told their version of the story, Kimmie did not see how their feelings could possibly fuel anything other than hatred. But the scene she had just witnessed left little doubt that there was an equally strong physical attraction as well. And even though her mom did not have much experience with men, Kimmie had absolute faith that Sarah would never bring home a man who would pose a threat to either of them.

"Okay," Kimmie told her mom. "Um, look, I'm going to go with Katie. We're supposed to be working on a project for school, and we really haven't done much, and we figured since it's still early, we could go back to her house and start brainstorming and maybe get some research done. Is that okay?"

Sarah looked at Jareth, uncomfortable with the idea of spending the rest of the day alone with him, but told Kimmie, "Sure, sweetie. Just call me later and let me know if you'll be home in time for dinner."

"Thanks, mom," she said as she started backing away from them to rejoin her friends. Once she had placed about twelve feet between them, she continued teasingly, "And this way, you guys can be alone and free to engage in all the inappropriate behavior you want." And with that, she turned and ran to rejoin her friends.

Sarah blanched at hearing such a suggestion from her daughter, while Jareth was practically doubled over with laughter. "Sarah, I quite like your daughter. She's a very sensible girl. I suggest we do precisely as she said." And as he reached for her to try to pull her into another embrace, she backed away from him and shot him a glare that made him step back.

"Don't even think about it Goblin King!"

They continued wandering around the park for a while in an almost companionable silence. Sarah was reluctant to return home, and Jareth was well aware that she was stalling. "Precious," he finally started. "Why do I make you so uncomfortable?"

Sarah stopped and looked at him, unsure if he was joking. All traces of smugness and mockery were conspicuously absent from his countenance. "Are you serious?" she began. "You showed up in my house in the middle of the night, kidnapped Toby, threatened to turn him into a goblin, forced me to jump through a seemingly endless array of unpredictable hoops in order to save him, all the while taunting me and trying to distract me, you placed my very life in peril, and then you harassed my friends, making it impossible for us to stay friends, and now," she paused as she tried to control her emotions so she wouldn't start sobbing, "after nearly 20 years of peace, when I had finally begun to believe I could live a normal life, you've placed me in a most uncompromising position which has forced me to lie to my daughter just to keep her from thinking the worst of me! And you have the nerve to ask why I don't like being around you?"

Jareth could only bow his head in resignation as she listed her grievances against him. He was beginning to suspect that an offer of marriage from him might not be welcome. It appeared that he had made grave errors in his attempted courtship at every point in the endeavor.

"Sarah," he began cautiously, "is it so difficult for you to believe what I told while you during your visit to the Underground?"

"What, the whole 'fear me and I'll be your slave' schtick?" she replied unsympathetically.

Jareth winced as she reminded him of his unfortunate choice in words. "There was more to it than that, Sarah. Remember our dance?" he asked.

Sarah resisted the urge to smile. Oh, yes. She remembered their dance, more often than she cared to admit. But she would never admit to Jareth how often she thought of it. It was bad enough that he suspected she dreamed of him. "You mean my hallucination?"

Jareth felt absolutely deflated by this woman. He took her hand as he continued. "Oh, Sarah, it was so much more than that," he said as he looked into her eyes.

Sarah tried deceiving herself that she didn't feel butterflies in her stomach, or that his touch didn't make her heart flutter, but she knew it was a lie. Damn! Of all the men in the world, why did Jareth have to be the only one who ever made her feel like this! She supposed if they were really going to have a heart to heart talk, it would be best to do it at home. "Jareth, I think we should wait until we get home to have this discussion. I'd really rather not do it in public."

Jareth was relieved to hear that she was at least willing to continue the discussion, and even more relieved at hearing they would be returning to her apartment. He looked at her, and was surprised to find her appraising him quizzically. "Yes?" he asked.

"Have you ever had a Frappuccino?" she asked.

"A frappa - no, I don't believe so," he replied.

Sarah smiled. "Well, I have a craving, so how about a quick stop by Starbuck's before we head home?"

"As my lady wishes," Jareth replied, curious as to what the frap-a-chino was. He held his arm out for Sarah, and allowed her to lead the way.

Jareth stared dubiously at the concoction Sarah had ordered him. It had the color and consistency of bog sludge, and was topped with some sort of frothy bovine essence. He watched as Sarah gleefully inserted a thin plastic tube into the opening at the top of the vessel it came in, and began leisurely sucking on it. Jareth did likewise, but much more hesitantly. After a few tentative mouthfuls, he decided that the "sludge" was rather tasty, and he began drinking it down with zeal. They were finally walking back toward Sarah's apartment, and Sarah watched with amusement as Jareth tasted his first Frappuccino. She became a little alarmed when she noticed how fast he was drinking it, and was about to say something when Jareth suddenly stopped. He doubled over in obvious pain, and barely managed to whisper, "Sarah! Help me!"

Sarah watched as he grabbed at his head and applied pressure to his sinuses. "I'm not well. I - I think I require a healer." And then suddenly, he stood upright on is own, looking thoroughly confused. "That was - disconcerting," he declared. "It was the most intense pain I have ever felt, and it was gone as suddenly as it came on." Jareth was more than a little concerned. There was no telling what sorts of human illnesses he was exposing himself to while above ground. He had never experienced anything like that before, but as long as he pain had subsided, he decided it could probably wait until he returned home before he sought a healer. He looked at Sarah and was troubled by her apparent lack of concern. He tried to shake off the distress he felt at her callous reaction with regard to his well being, and began absently sipping at his Frappuccino again. Being reminded of how tasty it was, he renewed his consumption of the beverage with vigor.

He was vaguely aware of Sarah muttering something as he was struck with another wave of blinding, searing pain. He was beyond embarrassed that he was unable to keep from vocalizing his agony as he again doubled over, gripping his head between his hands. And just like before, it disappeared as suddenly as it came. He would definitely have to cut his visit short and return home to seek out a healer. This was not normal. He was about to make his apologies to Sarah when he noticed that she was sighing in exasperation and rolling her eyes. He was suddenly angry. How could he ever have thought himself in love with such a cold woman. "Well, I'm sorry if my nearly dying is inconveniencing you, precious!" he growled. "I know you don't like me, but it is common courtesy to show a little concern when someone is in pain, distress, or ill. Or at least pretend to worry. At least I am no longer deceived. I see you for what you are, Ms. Williams, and I have only to regret the fool I have been to believe you otherwise."

Sarah stood there in absolute amazement as she listened to Jareth's tirade. She rolled her eyes again, which only added to Jareth's anger, and before he had a chance to start in on her again, she said, "For Christ's sake Jareth, it was just a brain freeze!"

Jareth stood up straight and came to stand directly in front of her, towering over her as he asked, "You know what my mystery ailment is?"

"It's called a brain freeze, and you get it when you chug down something ice-cold, like a Frappuccino," she held hers up and waved it in front of him for emphasis.

Jareth glared down at her, not sure whether or not to believe her. "Why were you not afflicted?"

"Because I know not to gulp it down that fast," she replied condescendingly.

"You could have warned me," he muttered glumly. He wasn't sure which of the emotions he was feeling was stronger: anger or embarrassment.

"Yeah, I could have," she replied severely. Then, with a barely perceptible teasing glint in her eye she added, "Payback's a bitch, isn't it?"

In response to Jareth's puzzled expression, Sarah continued, "This morning? Remember I told you you'd pay for the way Kimmie walked in on us?"

As Sarah's tone definitely had a teasing quality to it, things suddenly didn't seem so hopeless to Jareth.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Sorry for the short chapter, but after I went back to re-cut my excessively long chapters, I couldn't find anywhere else to fit in this bit. Attaching it to either the last or next chapter would have made either too long. The next one will be posted soon. Also, I think I may have written Jareth a little out of character in this chapter. Let me know what you think.

* * *

As she inserted the key to open the door to the apartment, Sarah heard the phone inside start ringing. "Damn," she muttered as she tried to hurry. As the door swung open, she sprang forward into the living room and picked up the phone, hoping whoever it was hadn't hung up. "Hello?" she answered.

"Oh, thank God, hun!" came the sound of Evelyn's very relieved voice on the receiver. "I was getting ready to call the police. I've been trying to reach you for hours. Where have you been?"

"Oh, we went out for breakfast, and I guess we just lost track of time," Sarah replied. "We're actually just walking in the door right now."

"Well, that's a relief. After last night, I was afraid something might have happened. I didn't realize until this morning that we never even asked ole blue eyes what his name was," Evelyn continued. "So he got you home okay? No funny business?"

"Well," Sarah began hesitantly looking at Jareth as he walked in and closed the door behind him, "Yeah, he got me home okay."

"That's good. Did you at least get his name and number?"

By now, Jareth had turned his attention to Sarah, smirking at her as she fumbled through some way to explain their situation.

"Um, yeah, I got his name."

"Good girl! I'm sure Kimmie is going to think we're bad influences on you, but please tell her that we did try to screen him for you. We would never deliberately let you go home with a potential psychopath."

Sarah smiled at her friend's obvious concern for her. "I'll be sure and tell her that when she comes home later," Sarah replied.

There was a long pause before Evelyn spoke again. "What do you mean 'when she comes home'? Hold on! If Kimmie isn't with you, then who is 'we?' Oh my God, Sarah! He's still with you, isn't he?" Evelyn was trying hard to keep her voice down, but her enthusiasm at the thought of someone finally breaking through Sarah's defenses was a little too much for her. "Oh, hun, never mind! You can tell me all about it Monday. You just get back to whatever you were doing before I interrupted." She abruptly hung up before Sarah could proclaim her innocence, leaving her holding the dead receiver for a few seconds before she also hung up. Why did everyone keep insisting she be alone with Jareth?

After putting the phone down, Sarah turned to Jareth, remembering that she had promised they'd talk when they returned home. Suddenly realizing that she was quite alone with the Goblin King, Sarah became very aware of the effect he had on her. Ignoring her racing heart and hoping the flush she was feeling was not reflected on her complexion, she began. "Well, I suppose now is as good a time as any for our 'talk.'" She motioned toward the couch and sat, tucking one leg under her so she could face Jareth. Jareth approached the couch as well, sat a little more tentatively at the edge, and turned to look at her.

They regarded each other for a few seconds before Sarah decided if she didn't start now, she would lose her nerve. "Why are you here? And don't give me the 'you summoned me' line. I want the truth."

Jareth took a deep breath and looked down, unsure how to begin. This was it; every hope, desire, wish, fantasy he had ever had with regard to his future, no their future, hinged on this moment. Despite the fact that he had yet to taste success with regard to Sarah, he absolutely knew he had to succeed this time. He had so far failed, repeatedly, and he could not afford to fail again. Failure would mean desolation and heartbreak, and for a being such as himself, it would be very nearly an eternity before he recovered from the loss, if indeed he ever did.

He took another breath and began, "Sarah, how much of the story do you remember?"

He then proceeded to explain the purpose of the little red book. It was created by the Labyrinth, and it was one of only a handful that were ever produced. The Labyrinth had enchanted them find their way into the possession of the most deserving humans. The Labyrinth's definition of most deserving was those individuals whose will, imagination and belief in magic were equally strong. The intention was to find these individuals and bring them to the Underground where they would be tested by the Labyrinth. In the hundreds of years that Jareth had reigned as Goblin King, Sarah was only the third such human to ever find her way Underground, and the only one ever to succeed in solving the Labyrinth.

He was familiar with the actual story contained in the little book, but he had always thought most of it was just filler to go along with the important parts which show the reader how to find their way Underground and how to defeat him. However, since her victory, he had had his doubts. Specifically, he referred to was the line about the king of the goblins falling in love with the girl and giving her certain powers. At best, he had thought it a throw away line, at worst, it was the Labyrinth trying to enslave him. He had consciously tried not to think about that passage, because no good had ever come from his obsessing over it. He would invariably end up thinking that if a champion were ever found, the Labyrinth would try to bend him to its will by forcing him to feel love. However, since Sarah's victory, he had serious doubts that this was the case. Jareth had actually fallen in love with her before she won, so perhaps by that act he had given her the power to defeat him. In any event, she had won, and by doing so had been marked by the Labyrinth as a citizen of the Underground and when she left, she unknowingly left with his heart.

He had never expected that Sarah's words would be so binding on him, and as a result, he had been forced to rely on her friends to communicate with her. Unfortunately, his attempts to be nice to that trio in order to use them to get back in her good graces were misinterpreted as harassment by all concerned, and when Sarah seemingly terminated her friendship with them, Jareth had been left with no means of communicating with her. He became despondent of ever gaining her confidence enough to begin a proper courtship.

He watched her occasionally through his crystals, something he should not have been able to do seeing as how she was human and no longer present in his realm, but because she was considered a part of the Underground, Jareth was able to scry on her the same as he would any of the other residents of the Labyrinth. However, the frequency with which he indulged in this lessened over time, because it only reminded him of what he could not have. Eventually, he became angry with the Labyrinth. What was the point in having it choose Sarah for him to fall in love with if he couldn't have her? A couple of weeks ago, his anger had reached a boiling point and he actually tried abdicating to be free of the Labyrinth's influence. It was, he realized in retrospect, an unwinable battle of wills. The Labyrinth was both angered and amused by the attempt. In the end, the Labyrinth had suggested that he take up watching her again to either find or force an opportunity for him to reenter her life. Whether the Labyrinth knew how events would unfold, or whether the Labyrinth caused things to happen as they did, or whether it had all just been serendipitous, Jareth would never know. All he knew is that he was here now, and he awaited Sarah's response.

When he finished, Sarah sat mute for a few minutes while she digested everything she had just been told. Before she had a chance to form a response, the silence was broken by the sound of the phone ringing. It was Kimmie. "Hi, mom. Sorry I didn't call sooner, but Katie and I got a little carried away and we lost track of time. Katie and her family are going out for dinner, so I'll be home in about 15 minutes. Is that okay?"

Sarah gasped as she realized how late it was. "Oh, sure, sweetie. That's fine. We haven't eaten yet, either." Apparently Kimmie was not the only one who had lost track of time. As Sarah hung up the phone, she looked at Jareth. "Kimmie is on her way home to have dinner," she said guiltily.

"Now that you mention it, I am rather hungry," Jareth replied.

"Unfortunately, it's too late to start working on dinner. It'll be nearly bedtime by the time it's done, and I don't think we want to wait that long." Sarah decided ordering in would probably be most convenient, so she went to search for the flyers to see where she could get the best deal. "If I order now," she said comparing two offers, "we should be able to get some pizza delivered not too long after Kimmie gets home. Here we go – two medium pizzas, unlimited toppings." After placing the order, she looked at Jareth and realized they were nowhere near to a resolution to their problem. But with Kimmie on her way home and dinner being delivered shortly, there was nothing more that could be done about it now.

Sarah had Jareth help her set the table, and like clockwork, Kimmie arrived together with the pizza delivery boy approximately fifteen minutes later. Kimmie was visibly upset at realizing she was having pizza for dinner. She was hungry and had been really looking forward to a home cooked meal. Somewhat hesitantly she approached her mother, and in a rather embarrassed whisper said, "You know, when I told you earlier you and Jareth had all day to. . . you know . . . I didn't really mean it. I mean, I didn't think you would . . . ." She stopped, not really knowing what she wanted to say, much less how to say it.

Fortunately, Sarah knew exactly what Kimmie was trying to say and because of the serious nature of the discussion she'd just had with Jareth, she was able to respond to her daughter's concerns without feeling flustered. "Kimmie, we didn't do anything. Now that our relationship is out in the open . . . " Sarah thought very carefully about what to say that wouldn't involve another flat-out lie to her daughter. "Well, I just wanted to make sure his expectations were compatible with our life. So we had a long talk, that's all. I'm your mom first and foremost, and I'll never let anything get in the way of that."

Kimmie looked at Sarah and smiled, reassured that she wasn't going to take a backseat to her mother's new boyfriend.

In the meantime, Jareth had finished preparing the table, so everyone sat down and happily munched away on the pizza, far too hungry to allow conversation to get in the way of eating.


	6. Chapter 6

There wasn't much left of the two pizzas after everyone had their fill. Sarah put away the couple of leftover slices while Kimmie cleaned up. Once all traces of their meal had been removed, the unlikely trio descended on the living room.

"Mom," Kimmie began, "it's still early. Do you think we can at least start watching Pride and Prejudice?"

Sarah looked at her daughter and thought about what she had proposed. "Kimmie, I don't think that's a good idea. Maybe we should come up with something Jareth will enjoy. He is our guest, after all."

"No, no. Please. I am the on intruding on the hospitality of you two lovely ladies. I insist you carry on as you normally would were I not here," Jareth offered gallantly.

Sarah had serious misgivings, but did not want to risk getting into an argument over it. At worst, they would have to come up with something else to occupy their evening in about fifteen minutes, which is how much time Sarah guessed would be required for Jareth to lose interest the period drama. Reluctantly, she popped in the DVD and everyone settled in to watch Pride and Prejudice.

They watched all they way to the end of the third episode, after Mr. Darcy's ill conceived marriage proposal. Sarah marveled that Jareth had been able to sit quietly for so long. She had heard from co-workers that this particular genre generally did not go over well with men, and she had fully expected Jareth's grumbling to make viewing impossible. She was even more surprised at his reaction after sitting quietly for over two hours and the credits began running when she picked up the remote and turned off the DVD player and television.

"That's it?" cried Jareth indignantly. He looked at Sarah, and noting the surprised look on her face, he took on a more conversational tone. "I mean, that's hardly a fitting ending for the story."

Sarah smiled as she stifled a yawn, motioning to the recliner where Kimmie had fallen asleep. "No, Jareth, that's not it. This is only the halfway point of the story, but it's late and we, at least Kimmie and I, would like to go to bed. We can finish watching it tomorrow if you're that eager to find out what happens."

"Oh, I see." He tried to sound as disinterested as possible, but he was finding it difficult because there were so many similarities between his predicament and Mr. Darcy's. A beautiful, fiery tempered woman who willfully misinterprets his actions and cruelly, almost gleefully rejects him. Granted, in both instances the men could have made better use of their language skills, but neither he nor Darcy were dealing with stupid women. She knew what he meant. At least, that's what he had told himself repeatedly for the last twenty years. Then, recalling his conversation with Sarah earlier that day, he realized that may not be the case.

While he sat lost in his thoughts, Sarah had gotten up to nudge Kimmie awake. "Sweetie, you'll sleep more comfortably if you change and go to bed."

"Mmm . . ." Kimmie mumbled blearily. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked at Sarah. "Sorry I fell asleep, mom."

"It's okay, sweetie. Just go get ready for bed."

Kimmie got up and went to her room. Sarah looked at Jareth and then looked away uncomfortably. "I'm sorry we couldn't provide you with better entertainment. A typical Saturday evening in the Williams household is probably considerably duller than what you're used to," she paused and looked at him, almost challengingly, "but it suits us fine."

"No need to apologize, Sarah," he replied earnestly. She found his intensity unnerving. "I can't recall the last time I spent a more relaxing, enjoyable evening. I assure you, it is a most welcome change to the chaos I'm usually surrounded with."

By now, Kimmie hand changed into her pajamas and brushed her teeth. She came out one last time to bid Sarah goodnight. "Goodnight mom," she said as she gave Sarah a hug and kiss goodnight. She then turned to Jareth and suddenly felt awkward. She had just met him this morning, under rather extreme circumstances, but he was now as much a part of her life as her mother, so she quickly leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Night, Jareth," she said, and scampered away toward her room. If her impetuosity surprised Jareth, he didn't show it. Instead, he gingerly placed his hand on his cheek as he stared distantly at the space Kimmie had just vacated. Kimmie was a remarkably trusting and resilient girl. Sarah had every right to be proud of her. She had done an amazing job raising her. He sullenly thought back to this morning and felt ashamed that he had actually considered just taking Sarah and abandoning Kimmie. The sound of Sarah's voice startled him back to reality.

"Well, your majesty, shall we retire?" Sarah got up and began motioning for Jareth to follow her into the bedroom. The invitation took him by surprise, as he had been expecting to sleep on the couch. His trademark smirk returned as his lady led him to bed. He sat down on her bed and waited to see what she had planned. Would she take the initiative and make the first move, or would she expect him to seduce her? Perhaps she would want to slip into something more comfortable first. Perhaps she would undress in front of him. He watched expectantly as she walked across the room to the closet and began digging out some blankets, pillows and an extra comforter and threw them on the floor next to her bed. She then crouched down and began spreading them out, while Jareth looked on in mild confusion.

"Sarah, what are you doing?" he asked.

"Preparing a place for you to sleep," she answered dryly.

"On the floor?" he asked incredulously, as the realization struck that he had not, in fact, been invited to share a bed with his beloved. "I refuse! The couch would be much more comfortable."

"You can't sleep on the couch," she replied tersely. "Kimmie will think we had a fight. We're supposed to be in love, remember?"

"Then shouldn't I sleep on the bed with you?" he asked hopefully. "What would she think if she walked in and saw this?" he asked, motioning the makeshift sleeping area Sarah had created.

"After what happened this morning, she won't be walking in on us again," Sarah explained. "And besides, we'll have it all picked up and put away first thing in the morning, and she'll never know."

"Sarah, I am not sleeping on the floor!"

"Well, I don't know what to tell you," she retorted. "You're free to leave if the alternative is that unacceptable."

"Why can't I sleep on the bed with you?" he asked. There was no romantic or sexual suggestion, as he had realized it had never been her intention to make such an offer. It was simply an honest request, made for the sake of comfort.

"With me? On my bed? No way."

"Sarah, I am a king. Are you seriously relegating my royal person to sleep on the floor?"

"Jareth, this is not up for discussion. If you're that averse to sleeping on the floor, you can leave."

Jareth could see he was losing, but he was not ready to admit defeat. He tried a different tack. "Sarah, what if I promise to behave," he began with as earnest and sincere a tone and expression as he could manage. "I promise I won't touch you," he continued. "Unless, of course, you ask me to," he purred suggestively, unable to stop himself. He silently cursed his inability to refrain from innuendo.

"No."

"But Sarah -"

"NO!"

Jareth sighed. He honestly did not know why he had insisted on arguing with her. She was as stubborn as he was, and had never backed down when challenged, as he well knew from experience.

By now, Sarah had finished spreading out the blankets. She stood to examine her work, and then walked in the direction of the bathroom. "I'm going to change for bed. I'll be a few minutes, so you can conjure yourself some pajamas. I don't know how you're accustomed to sleeping when you're home, but you will not be sleeping in the nude again tonight, understand?" Her tone continued to be stern, making it clear that dissent of any kind would not be tolerated. Somewhat sulkily, he changed into his favorite silk pajamas and attempted to make himself comfortable on the floor while he waited for Sarah. She finally emerged some twenty minutes later wearing a simple tee shirt and some sweatpants. Jareth frowned as he attempted to figure out why it had taken her so long to put on such simple sleeping attire, but thought it best not to say anything.

Gingerly stepping over him, Sarah climbed into her bed and took one last look at the still brooding goblin king before turning off the light. "Good night, Jareth," she murmured as she flicked the switch and snuggled in.

Jareth lay in the dark for a few minutes reviewing the day's events. Things had not gone the way he had planned, but given how awry everything had gone, his current predicament really could be much worse. He had been a fool to think he could just enter Sarah's life and sweep her off her feet. She was far too stubborn to allow anyone to have their way with her that easily, and much too practical to let herself be swayed by a few grand gestures. And wasn't it these complexities about her that had made him love her in the first place? Had the Sarah he remembered so well been even slightly changed to make his intrusion into her life a little easier, he knew that sooner or later, he would lose interest in the new altered Sarah. No, he thought, it was best that events were playing out as they were. He hoped he had made a good enough impression that she would reconsider her previously held misconceptions of him. Besides, there was still so much about her that he did not know. As this thought strayed though his mind, curiosity got the better of him, and he spoke, breaking the silence.

"Sarah," he whispered. "Are you asleep yet?"

There was a long pause, and Jareth thought she must have fallen asleep, but she finally responded. "No, I'm not asleep." Jareth could swear that he could hear her smile as she spoke. "I was just thinking about the unlikelihood of me being the one person in all creation you most wanted to annoy," she continued playfully.

He smiled, grateful for her teasing tone. But there was something he had to know. "Sarah," he continued hesitantly. "Can I as you a personal question?"

"Go ahead," she replied promptly.

"I was just wondering about Kimmie's father. . . ." Although he had spent a great deal of time watching her, his duties as king frequently kept him occupied for months at a time. On one such occasion, he had last seen her anxiously preparing for final exams, but when he next looked in on her, she had been banished from her home and was expecting. He never knew who the cad was who left her in such a state, nor had he ever heard Sarah mention him. There was so much Jareth wanted to know, but he was afraid Sarah might perceive his curiosity as possessiveness, so he left the question open ended for Sarah to provide as much or as little information as she wanted. He heard her inhale deeply as she collected her thoughts, and for a moment he was afraid she would refuse to answer. But then she began her narrative.

"It happened the night of my 21st birthday. I don't know if that means anything to you, but here, turning 21 is a big deal. I was away at college, and my friends and I decided to go out. There was a bar near the dorms where all the college kids went, and since I was finally old enough to drink, I guess indulged a little too much. Kind of like last night."

It was stated as a simple fact, but Jareth felt as if she had pierced him with a dagger.

Sarah's tone turned melancholy as she continued. "I was having a really good time. For once in my life I didn't feel like an outcast. I was saying all the right things. In short, I felt like the life of the party. And while I was dancing, this guy came up to me. I remember talking to him, and we really seemed to connect. We talked, and I remember sitting down in a corner booth with him so we could have a little privacy while we got to know each other a little better, and through it all, the drinks just kept coming. And sometime after that, everything went blank. The next memory I have is waking up in his apartment, in his bed. With him. I had a headache, but the full hangover hadn't kicked in yet. He was still unconscious from the previous night's binge. So I did what any sensible girl does when she wakes up with a strange man and instantly regrets her actions. I left. I left, and I never saw him again. Heck, I don't think I ever even got his name."

Jareth felt the dagger twist as he recalled how he had deliberately avoided giving anyone his name the night before.

"The following day, when I finally recovered from the hangover, I promised myself that I would never, ever let that happen again."

And now the dagger twisted the other way.

"Two months later, I discovered I was pregnant." Jareth listened intently as Sarah described how she had been cast off by her father and step-mother when they learned of her condition. Without their financial and moral support, Sarah had been forced to drop out of college and make her own way in the world at a time when her family should have rallied around her to help her get through it all. It had obviously been a difficult time for her, and she was not comfortable talking about it, and Jareth appreciated the effort it took for her to speak with such candor.

After Kimmie's birth, all of Sarah's energies went into being the best mother she could be. She worked outside of the home because she had to, but all of her non-work hours were dedicated to Kimmie. What her friends had said about her was true; she never dated, she never got together with friends, she never did anything that took her away from Kimmie. And for what? So she could repeat the same mistake the first night she went out to a bar since the night Kimmie was conceived! She laughed bitterly as she concluded her narrative. "You know, I've had sex a total of six times in my life, and I can't even remember the last two because I was too drunk."

There was no longer a dagger twisting in Jareth's side. She had now run him completely through with a sword. How had this spun so wildly out of control? Although his objective had been of a serious nature, he had intended to carry it out as a game, trading barbs with Sarah. And if he had a little fun at her expense, well, didn't she deserve it? It was only in hindsight that he was able to see how dreadfully he had treated this woman he purported to love.

"Sarah," Jareth began sadly. "I have to tell you something."

"Don't bother apologizing, it's my stupid fault." Her voice still held a hint of bitterness. "I guess by now I should know that I can't handle going out for drinks. If it hadn't been you, it would have been someone else, probably some pathetic loser like last time. At least you saved me from that."

"No, it isn't that. I mean, I am sorry. More sorry than you know. But - Sarah, nothing happened last night. I brought you home and I put you to bed. And that's it. And it would not have happened with someone else if I hadn't been there. You did not have enough to drink to cause that level of intoxication. It was the goblin wine I gave you which put you in that state." He knew there was a very real possibility that Sarah would physically throw him out of her apartment at this admission, but he couldn't go on lying to her. The kind of relationship he wanted with her had to be built on trust. All previous attempts had failed miserably, and this was the only avenue left open to him.

He lay in silence, waiting for Sarah's response. As the silence dragged on, he became hopeful. If Sarah had intended to again banish him from her life again, she would have done so immediately. Her voice finally broke the stillness.

"So last night, you and I, we didn't. . ." Sarah didn't know what to think. She knew she ought to be angry, but she was having trouble working up a heated response. In fact, she was having trouble feeling anything other than relief.

"No, Sarah. It isn't that I didn't want to, I just want you to want it as well."

"And what about this morning? Why? Why did you put me through that?" Sarah's tone was bordering on hysterical, but she still sounded more sad than angry.

Jareth swallowed down the lump he felt forming in his throat. Being truthful was taking a lot out of him, and there was still no guarantee that it would work. "Regrettably, my behavior this morning was the result of an ill conceived desire to amuse myself at your expense, and for that I do sincerely apologize."

There was silence again, and Jareth felt oppressed by it. He could not sleep until he knew where they stood. "Sarah, are you terribly angry?"

"Go to sleep Jareth we'll talk in the morning." And with that, Jareth heard Sarah roll onto her side, turning her back to him, so she could fall asleep. Jareth relaxed somewhat. She might be angry, but she hadn't insisted he leave. And she was still talking to him. Sort of.

Sarah lay there thinking about what Jareth had just told her. He had not taken advantage of her, even though he wanted to and had been given an opportunity to do so. But he had also admitted to toying with her with no regard to how it made her feel. As much as the idea angered her, she could not deny that had he been honest with her when she had woken up that morning, she would have immediately and unceremoniously evicted him from her apartment. And then today would not have happened. And the day had been okay, hadn't it? Yes, he was selfish, egotistical, rude, domineering, and spoiled, but today she had seen a side of him she never knew existed. And most surprising of all, she was even willing to concede that perhaps, just maybe, he was telling the truth. Maybe he did care for her in his own twisted way.


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you to everyone who has bookmarked this story! Knowing someone is out there waiting for the next chapter keeps me from feeling like I'm wasting my time. We're just about into the home stretch. I think I should be able to wrap this up by next week. Enjoy!

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When Sarah awoke the next morning, she got up as usual and went to the bathroom, having completely forgotten about the events of the previous day. It wasn't until she reentered the bedroom and she saw a neatly folded stack of blankets, with a pillow on top that she remembered her uninvited guest. She was suddenly gripped by panic as she wondered where he was and what he was doing. Hurriedly wrapping herself up in her robe, she exited the room and was greeted by an extraordinary sight. Seated on the couch was the Goblin King, and snuggled up next to him was her daughter. They sat in silence, watching Pride and Prejudice and eating ice cream. The most amazing thing of all was that Jareth seemed absolutely enthralled by what was happening on the television.

Kimmie was the first to notice here. She looked up and smiled sheepishly. "Morning, mom. I hope you don't mind that we started without you - it was Jareth's idea."

Sarah realized they had been watching for a while, because they were at the part where Lydia had run off with Mr. Wickham and Elizabeth was making her excuses to Mr. Darcy so she could return home.

Jareth looked at Sarah and smiled brightly. "Come join us," he said, as he made room for her next to him. There being absolutely no good reason for her to do otherwise, she did as Jareth requested. They sat in silence, watching, as they had the night before. When it ended, Jareth was the first to break the silence. "It's funny," he began. "She didn't initially strike me as a fortune hunter."

Not understanding his meaning, Sarah asked for clarification.

"Elizabeth," Jareth responded. "Notice how she her whole attitude changed when she realized how grand Mr. Darcy's estate was and how well respected his name is in the neighborhood?"

Sarah had read the book many times, and had discussed with friends, and this was the first time she had ever heard someone so grossly misinterpret the events. "No," she corrected. "Her change of heart began after he wrote her the letter explaining his side of things, and took root when they met up again and his whole demeanor toward her changed. After his bungled and offensive marriage proposal. . ."

"Offensive?" he asked in a jibing manner. "He declared his love for her and his desire to spend the rest of his life with her at his side. What's so offensive about that?"

Sarah gaped at him. Did he really not understand how wrong Darcy's initial proposal was? Recalling her history with Jareth, she could only conclude that he really was clueless. If he had been truthful with her yesterday, she realized she they needed to find some common ground. She thought very carefully about what she wanted to say before speaking. "A marriage proposal is something that a girl remembers for the rest of her life, and she should be able to recall it fondly. It shouldn't be tainted by comments which might paint her in an unfavorable light."

Jareth looked exasperated. "But a man should be able to make an honest assessment of the situation with the expectation that a reasonable woman will understand his meaning."

Kimmie had been silently watching this exchange, and it suddenly occurred to her that they were no longer talking about Pride and Prejudice.

Sarah smiled. She was finally beginning to understand Jareth, and with a few more carefully chosen words, hopefully he could begin to understand her as well. "So when you said 'fear me,' 'do as I say,' and 'let me rule you' that was your honest assessment you wanted? And by rejecting you , I was being unreasonable?"

Kimmie grimaced as turned to look at Jareth. "Tell me you didn't say that to my mom," she murmured, "did you?"

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Jareth looked at Kimmie, then at Sarah, dumbstruck. He had never thought his words were inappropriate until this weekend. Hearing Kimmie ask for a denial only made him realize just how misguided he had been. He sadly nodded in acknowledgement of his wrongdoing. "Yes, Kimmie, I'm afraid I did."

After breakfast, Kimmie left to go finish her project with Katie. Jareth had been quietly sulking since their earlier conversation. Part of the reason he had been silent was that he was truly ashamed, but he also had no idea what to say to Sarah. This woman continued to turn his world. All his life he had been privileged. People had gone out of their way to accommodate him, and her staunch refusal to do so had him on edge. Not only did she refuse to propitiate, she was determined to show him all his failings, either directly, or by leading him to that conclusion himself, as the morning's events had done. If it were anyone else finding fault with him, he would have bogged them for impertinence. It had simply never occurred to him that he was just as susceptible to making mistakes as anyone else.

"I'm sorry."

His sudden words cutting through the silence startled Sarah. She looked at him, and saw a very humble, penitent Goblin King genuinely seeking forgiveness.

"I'm sorry for what I said to you when you ran the Labyrinth.. I should have made my meaning clearer. " He paused and sighed deeply before continuing. "Not that it would have made a difference. You would have left anyway."

Sarah was stunned by this brutally honest revelation. "Yes, I would have left anyway. I was fifteen. Fifteen! My God, Jareth! Just imagine Kimmie. You've interacted with her more than you did with me back then. Can you imagine how she would react if anyone were to make her a similar offer?"

Jareth had come to feel quite protective of Kimmie in the short time he had known her, and his first thought was that he knew exactly how he would react if anyone were to make her such an offer. Woe unto any man who would attempt to lure Sarah's young daughter away from home. Shame burned even deeper into his being as he realized that was exactly what he had attempted to do with Sarah. He could not meet Sarah's gaze. "How can you even stand to be around me?" he finally asked. "My behavior has been absolutely inexcusable."

Given the sacrifices Sarah made before Kimmie's birth as a result of Jareth's bad behavior, there were any number of caustic comebacks could have used, but as she took in his words, she suddenly realized that she did not hate him. She wasn't entirely certain what she did feel for him, but somehow, she realized she was bringing out qualities in Jareth that she had never known he possessed. It was entirely possible Jareth himself did not know it. Certainly there was more to explore here than she would have ever imagined just 24 hours earlier. It was no mean feat for a woman to bring out the best in a man, particularly one as stubborn and arrogant as Jareth, and that thought left her feeling an odd combination of pride and accomplishment.

"How about we just let bygones be bygones. Let's bury every mean and hurtful thing we've ever said or done to one another and start fresh." Her words surprised even herself, as she had not known they were true until after she heard them. Was it possible that Jareth, too, was bringing out another side of her personality of which she had been unaware? She moved toward him and held her hand out. "Deal?" she asked.

Jareth looked first at her hand, and then finally at her. He seemed unsure, but her conviction won him over. He took her hand. "Deal," he said as he shook it. She smiled at him, and he thought she had never looked more beautiful. A new thought suddenly came to him. "How about we celebrate our pact with a Frappuccino?"

Sarah let out a good-natured laugh at his suggestion, recalling their misunderstanding the day before. "As much as I would like to take you up on your offer, I'm afraid I can't. It's Sunday, and I still have to clean the apartment, do laundry, go to the market and make dinner. It generally takes me and Kimmie the entire weekend to get through everything at a leisurely pace, but I'm on my own, and now I only have one day left to get everything done. And since you're still here, I may as well make use of you to at least stay on top of getting clothes in and out of the washer and dryer in a timely fashion."

Jareth gaped at her, unsure if he understood her correctly. Certainly, she couldn't possibly be asking him to do domestic work, could she?

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Sarah couldn't repress her laughter as Jareth pushed and she swung higher and higher. She was amazed at how much she was enjoying herself, despite the row they narrowly avoided a little while earlier over household chores. Somehow they had been able to defuse it before it started. After Jareth threw a royal fit over the inappropriateness of even being asked to clean, he suddenly realized that manual labor did not have to be part of that equation. After Sarah carefully explained exactly what needed to be done, Jareth cast a quick spell, and in a flash, laundry was done and put away, the apartment was spotless and the rest of the day was now free for them to enjoy.

They ended up back at the park, where Jareth was fascinated by the apparatus on the playground. He approached it with a look of wonder, and as he discovered the purpose for each new thing - the rock climbing wall, the monkey bars, the zip line, his expression changed from curiosity to that of absolute elation. When he insisted Sarah join him on the swings, she was reluctant, but it his joy was contagious.

After they had exhausted themselves playing, they found an empty bench to sit down and rest.

"Thank you," Sarah said as she smiled at Jareth.

Jareth looked at her quizzically.

"That was the most fun I've had in years," she explained. "I've spent all my time since Kimmie was born working to keep a roof over our heads and worrying that no matter how hard I try, I'm not doing enough for her. I'd forgotten what fun was."

"Sarah, no one who knows you would ever doubt your ability to provide for Kimmie. She's a bright, inquisitive, healthy young girl. And it's obvious the two of you have a bond most mothers would envy."

Sarah blushed at hearing him say that. "Thank you," she repeated.

Jareth sat back on the bench as his gaze became distant. He scanned the treetops, obviously lost in thought. "You have no idea how exceptional you are, do you?" he began. "The way you fought for Toby, when there was so little reason for you to do so. I've encountered parents with far less desire to hold on to their children. For years I've watched your people and been horrified by humanity's inability to treasure their most valued gifts. Time and time again, I see parents, who are supposed to champion their children, defend them, protect them, stand behind them, cast them aside like so much refuse, without a thought as to what might become of them as they attempt to make their way through the world alone."

Sarah visibly blanched at hearing Jareth's description of a situation far too similar to her own. A horrified Jareth realized his mistake too late.

"Sarah, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize -"

"No, Jareth, it's okay," she stammered. "Really." They sat in silence for a while until Sarah spoke again.

"You know, I've tried writing to Toby, several times during the past fifteen years. There's so much I've wanted to share with him. But each letter was returned unopened. Karen and my dad cut me completely out of their lives, and as hard as it is to live with that, not knowing what became of my little brother is almost unbearable. He's probably in college now. Either that, or he's been cut off, too," she said a little bitterly. "I wonder if he even remembers that he once had a big sister," she trailed off, and suddenly brightened as a new thought occurred to her.

"Jareth," she began tentatively, unsure how to phrase her request. "Could you . . . ." She couldn't bring herself to say it, because learning the truth might be more painful than not knowing. What if he wasn't interested in getting reacquainted with the big sister who disappeared 16 years ago, or worse, what if he had forgotten her.

Jareth knew what she was asking and shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, but there are strict rules to how I can use my magic. I can only appear to those who have made a wish. I cannot even conjure an image in a crystal."

Jareth hated being the cause of such intense sadness in her. The mood of the afternoon suddenly shifted as the fun-loving and expressive Sarah was gone and replaced by indomitable mom Sarah, who realized she was being a terrible hostess by making her guest feel bad. "Come on," she said standing up. "I think a Frappuccino is in order."

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Sarah and Jareth returned to the apartment carrying several bagsful of groceries. Sarah took advantage of having access to a set of strong arms which could bring everything up in one trip, where it normally took her and Kimmie two or three trips to unload the car.

They were still putting everything away when Kimmie returned. Kimmie was grateful that they had once again put aside whatever differences existed between them. After Jareth left, she was going to have to sit her mother down and get a full account of her history with Jareth, because it was obvious that it was long, complicated and fraught with hard feelings.

"So what's for dinner," she finally asked as she watched Jareth awkwardly taking directions from Sarah as they finished putting the week's groceries away.

"I was thinking just a simple primavera with some cheesy garlic toast," Sarah replied brightly.

Kimmie's tongue already had a gripe ready to go, because she wasn't a fan of primavera. She much preferred richer meat and cream sauces, but she bit it back at hearing cheesy garlic toast. That was her absolute favorite, and it made the prospect of having to eat primavera tolerable. Kimmie's dislike for the pasta was further lightened when she realized her mother had splurged and bought the premium pasta from the refrigerated section, the tri-color cheese stuffed tortellini. She looked at her mother knowingly and smiled. "I take it this dinner is special?" she asked in a tone which indicated she knew Sarah's intention was far from innocent.

Sarah looked at her daughter, surprised by the insinuation, and clearly flustered by the idea of Jareth realizing what Kimmie meant. She then proceed to finish pulling out everything she would need to cook in as casual a manner as she could manage. "No, I just thought it would be nice for a change." As excuses went, it sounded weak, and she knew whatever hope she had at having Kimmie believe her would vanish as she pulled out the last of the groceries - raspberry lemonade, Sprite and grape juice to make a fizzy punch. Kimmie eyed her mother suspiciously as Sarah pulled the bottles out.

"Okay, Mom, whatever you say." She winked at her mother and walked away.

Jareth wisely decided not to comment on the scene which he had just witnessed.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note:

Have I told you guys how much I love you? I had hoped that my little story would be liked by someone out there, but your response has been overwhelming. Thank you.

* * *

The evening surpassed everyone's expectations. Jareth had shooed Kimmie out of the kitchen, insisting he would be more assistance to Sarah, than a half-grown slip of a girl. Kimmie took the hint and made herself scarce until she was called to dinner.

In fact, Jareth was pretty much useless as an assistant. Sarah had given him the simple task of boiling water to cook the pasta, and when the water had not yet broken a boil in what Jareth considered a reasonable time (somewhere just shy of one minute) he had gone on rant about the shoddy quality of Sarah's cookware, and the ineffectiveness of non-magical fire. Despite his inability to perform even the most basic task, Sarah found his eagerness endearing. In the end, she had him mix the punch. Quantities were of little consequence, because pretty much any combination of the lemonade, grape juice and Sprite would be tasty.

Thankfully, primavera was a simple dish, so it didn't take long for Sarah to put it together. Within less than half an hour after Kimmie's return, they were all sitting down enjoying their dinner. Jareth took a hesitant sip of his punch, refusing to admit even to himself that he had doubts about its potability, but he positively preened after tasting it.

Over dinner, Kimmie sheepishly apologized for leaving Sarah alone to handle the weekend chores. Sarah was only too happy to be able to tell her truthfully that Jareth had been a tremendous help without giving any details.

Kimmie was amused at the easy banter between her mother and Jareth, with Jareth either completing Sarah's sentences for her, or adding an embellishment to something she said.

Conversation continued to flow easily between the three as Kimmie described the project she and Katie had worked on. It was a cross-curricular project, which required they give an oral presentation in history, in addition to turning in individual written papers for a grade in English. Kimmie had every expectation of receiving an A in both classes.

As Kimmie spoke, Sarah suddenly felt overwhelmed by a sense of discovery and loss. What she was experiencing in her own dining room at the age of 35 was the rediscovery of what she had lost at 20: this is what it was to be part of a real family. Not that she and Kimmie hadn't been one, but this was different. When a parent and child have only each other, the familial bond is rather more insoluble. This was a new, entirely voluntary dynamic. Jareth had chosen to be with them, to share himself with them, and now that she had identified it, Sarah knew that she would forever remember this evening as the last time she felt she was part of a family.

As they were finishing up their meal, Kimmie became noticeably excited. With just a few hours before her bedtime, she threw out her suggestion for that evening's activity. "Mom," she began, "do you think Jareth might want to play Risk with us? We hardly ever play because it's no fun with just two people, and there's no knowing when we'll have another chance to play with someone else. Please?" She looked at both Jareth and her mother.

Just as Sarah was about to make excuses for Jareth, Jareth cut her off and replied to Kimmie, "Do I understand you correctly? Are you challenging me to a game?" He had a gleam in his eyes that Sarah instantly recognized from her time in the Labyrinth. It was exactly the sort of challenge Jareth couldn't refuse, and now that it had been made, she knew there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Twenty minutes later, Kimmie and Sarah had explained the rules to Jareth and they had completed setting up the board. They were ready to begin play. Sarah had warned Kimmie that they would likely not have time to play out a complete game, but Kimmie didn't care.

After another twenty minutes, Sarah and Kimmie were staring at the board utterly flummoxed, while Jareth sat back, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

"I don't understand," Kimmie said dejectedly. "It's supposed to take hours to finish a game. I've never heard of anyone winning so quickly."

Sarah glowered at Jareth from across the table. The smile disappeared from his face as he noticed the way Sarah was looking at him.

"What? What did I do?" Just then, his expression changed from confused to almost pained. He excused himself, got up and went to Sarah's bedroom.

Kimmie and Sarah exchanged confused looks. Sarah decided to follow him to find out what was wrong.

The sight that met her when she entered her room awed her. There was Jareth, in full Goblin King regalia using her mirror to give a thorough dressing-down to a panic stricken, cowering goblin. He finished his tirade without noticing Sarah was standing behind him. As he turned, the look of fury on his face was almost enough to cause Sarah to cringe, except for the fact that this was her home, her own bedroom, in fact. Jareth's expression immediately changed when he saw the alarm on Sarah's face. "Forgive me Sarah. I didn't realize you were there. I didn't mean to startle you."

As he spoke, his appearance began to soften as he morphed into the casual attire he had been wearing all weekend.

"No, I'm the one who should apologize. I shouldn't have just walked in on you like that. I just get so caught up in my own apparently erroneous ideas of what you are that I forget what you actually are. What was that all about?"

"Word of my absence has gotten out and anarchy seems to be setting in," Jareth explained. "I've charged my guard to maintain order for the next few hours at all costs. My holiday is almost over, and my presence will likely be needed before morning."

"Well, it was an impressive display. Maybe it'll buy you enough time until morning." The words came out before she realized she had inadvertently invited him to spend the night again. It was unlikely her slip went unnoticed by Jareth, so she was grateful that he didn't make a big deal about it.

Before returning to Kimmie, Sarah decided she had to know how Jareth had managed an unprecedented 20 minute game of Risk. "Jareth, how did you manage to win so quickly? Kimmie's right, that game usually takes hours to play out."

Jareth smiled as he began his explanation. "It's quite simple. I've ruled the goblins for centuries, and I've protected them from their enemies by always staying one step ahead of them. I have a keen understanding of military strategy. I know how others think, how they plot, so no one can take advantage of me and my kingdom. You and Kimmie clearly have no experience in such matters."

Sarah realized there was much more to Jareth than she had every given him credit for, and she felt a sudden pang of guilt that she had never really given him a chance to prove his worth until now when he had forced his company on her.

"Now, how about we rejoin your charming daughter and see if she has any other plans for the rest of our evening."

As if on cue, Kimmie gently knocked as she entered. Seeing Jareth, she eyed him suspiciously. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine. Thank you for asking." If he didn't come up with some plausible excuse, Sarah would have to lie yet again to her daughter to hide the truth about him. "I have a . . . condition. I get lightheaded and need a few minutes to regain my bearings. Your mother was just making sure it didn't get any worse."

Sarah realized how humiliating it must be for him to lie like this, and she knew why he was doing it. Unable to thank him properly, she did the only thing she could. She smiled warmly at him.

They all returned to the living room, and Kimmie suggested they play Scrabble.

Forty-five minutes later, as Kimmie got up to get ready for bed, a very disgruntled Jareth commented privately to Sarah, "I still don't think they should have counted. Texting? What types of activities do you humans engage in? And unfriend is not even a word, much less a verb!"*

Sarah just rolled her eyes. "The rules were explained to you, and you agreed to be bound by the contents of the dictionary."

"That only proves that it was your intention from the outset to cheat."

Sarah looked at him in astonishment. "Cheat? By following the rules to the letter?"

"No, by making rules that put me at an obvious disadvantage," he retorted imperiously.

Sarah felt her good mood start to sour as she tried to reign in her temper so she could think clearly. "That may be," she replied, "but you had the option of selecting the English language dictionary of your choice. And besides," she continued, unable to stop herself, "I didn't change the rules halfway through the game, unlike someone else around here! Not that that did you any good."

Before Jareth had a chance to respond to this new accusation, Kimmie walked into the now familiar scene of Jareth and Sarah glaring at each other. She cautiously walked up to her mother to kiss her good night. "'Night mom."

Sarah immediately relaxed and wrapped her daughter in a hug. "Goodnight, sweetheart. Thank you for being so understanding about everything that happened this weekend." She then watched as Kimmie, still tentative, came up to Jareth and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before turning to go to bed.

Jareth looked at Sarah, all traces of anger gone from his face. "Once again, I find myself in the humbling position of having to apologize to you. Of course, you are right. About everything."

Sarah was once again surprised by this new side of Jareth.

After changing into her pajamas, Sarah watched as Jareth pulled out the blankets and pillows he had slept on the night before. He hadn't noticed her reenter the room as he went about making as comfortable a spot as was possible on the floor. He wasn't sure whether the weekend had accomplished anything, but he was grateful for the time Sarah had shared with him. He sighed as the thought occurred to him that these last two days might just be all the time he would ever get to spend with Sarah.

Sarah heard the sigh and suddenly felt guilty about the way she had treated him. He really wasn't that bad once you figured out how to handle him. "You know, you were a tremendous help with the chores today. I suppose that earned you the right to . . . to not sleep on the floor." Even though the end result was the same, she wasn't ready to say he could sleep with her.

Jareth turned and looked at her soulfully, knowing exactly what she meant and what she didn't mean. He gave her a little smile. "Thank you. You will find your trust has not been misplaced."

They climbed into bed, each rigorously observing the imaginary boundary down the middle. But because it was her own bed, Sarah, felt a little more comfortable, and she was the first to relax a little. She turned onto her side, facing him, with her head propped up on her arm. "Well, the weekend is almost over. I guess you'll be returning to your castle to whatever it is you do there."

"Yes," Jareth looking at her and wondering why she chose to state the obvious.

Sarah stared at him thoughtfully, trying to figure out exactly what she wanted to say. She didn't even know what she was feeling, let alone the words to describe it. But the sense of loss she felt at knowing Jareth would be gone in the morning spurred her on. "You'll be gone tomorrow, and I'm not sure I'll ever get another chance to talk to you, but I just wanted you to know how special these last two days have been. Dinner tonight was like something from a dream, like what it used to feel like before, when I still had a home, a family, not that this isn't my home, I mean, my home is where Kimmie is, my family. . ." Oh, God, she was rambling, and she was about to start crying, so she stopped before she could humiliate herself any further.

Jareth allowed himself a little hope at hearing Sarah liken his presence in her and Kimmie's lives as feeling like family. He looked at her, and in her distress, he wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms and soothe here, but she was trusting him to behave, and wanted nothing more than to prove himself trustworthy. "I know I could never replace what you lost, but I do hope you know there is a place you could go where you would be surrounded by people who care about you. . ."

In all the years that had passed since she ran the Labyrinth, she had never once considered this possibility. Up until now, it would have been inconceivable to place herself within Jareth's reach, not even to be with such dear friends as Hoggle, Sir Didymus and Ludo. But now how did she feel? It was true what she had told Jareth about feeling like a family, but what exactly was he offering? Could she take a chance and just throw everything away to chase what any sane person would call a fantasy? No. She was a responsible adult, and she had the well-being of a child to think about. Sadly, she shook her head. "No, Jareth. I can't. I have to take care of Kimmie."

The fact that it took Sarah so long to answer told Jareth that she had given it some consideration, so he continued pressing his point. "Kimmie would be more than welcome, and I'm certain your friends would care for her as much as they care for you." As much as I care for her, too, he thought to himself, as he pondered how much lonelier his existence would feel after this experience.

Sarah smiled at him. "I know they would, but that isn't the problem. I have a human daughter who has no idea that magic exists, and I owe it to her to give her the best opportunity to be successful in the world she was born to. She has to finish high school so she can go to college. I suppose then I would be willing to consider your offer, but not now, not while Kimmie is still dependent on me."

Jareth tried to rejoice in the fact that he had not been rejected outright, but the thought of returning to the castle alone, and spending at least several more years alone, and without even a guarantee that Sarah would accept him at the end of that time was just too depressing.

"You know," Sarah continued, "since you are 'officially' my boyfriend, you're welcome to come stay any time you want. Even if all you can spare is an hour for lunch."

Jareth brightened considerably at this thought. He wasn't being banned from her life until she decided. She actually wanted to spend more time with him. "It would mean a lot to me to be able to spend more time with you and Kimmie. I, too, never realized the extent of the void in my life until tonight. You and Kimmie fill it quite well."

Sarah felt a surge of emotion as she heard Jareth confess this. Was this really happening? Was the Goblin King really admitting that he needed her and Kimmie? And did knowing it really make her this . . . what was this feeling. Was she giddy? Yes, lying her next to Jareth, talking about their feelings was making her giddy.

She suddenly became aware of the fact that the imaginary boundary separating the bed had completely been abandoned as they had imperceptibly inched toward each other during their conversation. As she looked at him, she really looked at him for the first time. She could feel warmth radiating from him, not just from his physical presence, but from every heartfelt sentiment he had expressed over the last two days. She scooted in a little closer, and now Jareth became aware of her proximity.

He looked at her warningly, his gaze making it clear that he would take full advantage of her blatant disregard of the imaginary line if she didn't retreat.

Throwing caution to the wind, Sarah suddenly rolled herself on top of him and before he could register what she was doing, she leaned down and gently kissed him. And because it was Sarah who initiated and freely gave the kiss, it was the sweetest kiss Jareth had ever experienced in his long life. Long before he'd had his fill of Sarah's lips, she pulled away, but before he was able to protest, she began trailing up along his jaw, alternately kissing and nipping, ending with a gentle nibble on his ear lobe. Jareth felt a sudden jolt intense pleasure surge through his being as she whispered, "Make love to me."

In one swift move, he had rolled her onto her back and had her pinned under him. As he looked down at her, he saw reflected in her eyes the same emotions he was feeling, desire, acceptance and love. "Oh, my sweet Sarah," me murmured as he leaned in and kissed her tenderly before losing himself in his aching need for her.

Sarah awoke alone the next morning. She was disappointed, but she had known from the outset that he would likely be gone by morning. The only evidence that Jareth had been there at all was the thin layer of glitter which she found herself covered in, and which was liberally dusted all over her bed. Sarah smiled as she remembered how the sparkly stuff just seemed to gush forth freely from the Goblin King's being while he was in the throes of passion.

* * *

* I took a little artistic liberty with this. Assuming Sarah was 15 at the time of the movie, this story would have to take place in 2008. The word unfriend was not added to the New Oxford American Dictionary until 2009.

Second Author's Note: Sorry about the G rated love scene, but I don't do lemons. Maybe someday when this whole writing thing comes a little more easily, but not yet.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: I should have called this chapter Attack of the Plot Bunnies. I was all ready to wrap it up, but the bunnies had other ideas. So I now find myself having to go off on a tangent to appease them, which accounts for the delay in getting this chapter out. I'm now furiously reworking the ending to reflect the new developments which occur in this chapter. Barring any more leporid incursions, I should have the final chapter posted by the end of the week.

* * *

Jareth sat in his study feeling uneasy. He was supposed to be getting ready for a date with Sarah, but the Labyrinth was up to something. It almost felt like the magical crackling of energy just before a summons, but it was different. He materialized a crystal and attempted to form an image to see if he could get some indication of what was happening. What he saw surprised him. It was something he should not be able to see - a human from the above world, and it was not Sarah.

It was a young man, and he looked troubled. Jareth adjusted the view in the crystal and furrowed his brow in puzzlement as he recognized the youth's surroundings. It was the park where he had first noticed Sarah.

"Oh Sarah," the youth sighed, "of all the times I've wished I could ask your advice, I've never needed it as much as I do now."

And with those words, Jareth felt the familiar magical surge which accompanied a summons. The words were not right, in fact it was not even a proper wish, but it seemed the Labyrinth was willing to bend the rules to please its future queen.

Toby had grown into a fine young man. At 22, he was just a year older than Sarah had been when she had been disowned by her father and stepmother, yet his prospects could not be more different. He had just received his bachelor's degree in criminal justice and had been accepted at several prestigious law schools. He now had only to decide which one he wanted to attend.

He was standing on the bridge over the pond, looking forlornly into the water when he was suddenly startled by the sudden appearance of a strange looking man with wild hair and outlandish attire. "Who are you?"

"You don't remember?" Jareth asked. "We've met before."

"Oh, my God. You're him. You're the Goblin King!" Toby cried as the distant, almost echo-like memory came flooding back. He tried to remember the stories Sarah had told him when he was a boy, whether a visit from the Goblin King was a good or a bad thing, but it had been so long ago, and his parents had done such a thorough job of removing all traces of Sarah's existence from his life that he simply did not know. "Why are you here?"

"You made a wish, and I am in the happy position of being to fulfill two wishes by granting yours."

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Kimmie felt a flood of pity for Jareth as she watched her mother pacing. Jareth was nearly 45 minutes late, and despite that fact that Sarah had absolutely nothing else to do, Kimmie knew Jareth would be in for it when he finally arrived. When, not if, because she also had no doubt that he would arrive. It had been clear to her from the beginning that he was head over heels in love with her mother.

After Jareth's second visit, Sarah had told her the truth about him and how they had met. Had it not been for the fact that her mother was the most sensible, grounded person Kimmie knew, she would have seriously wondered about her mother's mental state. As it was, she did not fully accept the truth until Sarah and Jareth arranged a visit to the Labyrinth and Kimmie was able to see that magical land for herself, and interact with its unusual array of residents, including Sarah's three friends who had been the object of an argument between Sarah and Jareth the day Kimmie met him.

Kimmie looked at the clock again. Her anxiety grew as she wondered how Jareth would sweet talk his way out of this. Punctuality was very important to Sarah. She was perfectly willing to accept a ballpark time as long as it was stated in advance. Just never give her a specific time and fail to abide by it, as Jareth had done now.

The doorbell finally rang at precisely 6:20. Kimmie winced as she noted the expression on her mother's face as she went to get the door. She was positively seething, and had her rant ready to go, but it died on her lips as she opened the door and found a very bewildered looking young man standing there. The two gaped at each other for several seconds, before the young man tentatively stepped forward. "Sarah?" he asked as he studied her, obviously trying to pull up a memory.

Sarah cautiously stepped back in response. "Who wants to know?" she replied defensively. Just then, Jareth stepped forward from behind the younger man, smiling broadly. Confused by the appearance of the stranger, Sarah momentarily forgot her anger. She and the young man looked at Jareth, and the youth spoke again.

"Well, I guess I made a wish a little while ago, and the Goblin King here, he sort of appeared and said he'd grant it. You are Sarah Williams, right?"

Sarah felt bewildered, and had Jareth not been present, she would have been in an absolute panic at having a strange young man suddenly appearing in her apartment. "Jareth, what's going on?"

In response, the young man stepped toward her again and said, "I'm Toby."

At these words, Sarah felt the world crash around her. She looked at him, and knew he was speaking the truth. "Toby?" She wanted to hold him, to kiss his cheek, to stroke his hair, but she was rooted to the spot where she stood. She suddenly became aware of tears running down her cheeks, and all she could do was repeat the one word. "Toby!"

Kimmie quietly came over to Jareth and whispered to him, "Is that really my Uncle Toby?"

Jareth continued smiling as he replied, "It is indeed." He had not taken his eyes off the two half-siblings as they stood, still staring at each other incredulously.

Jareth's words suddenly registered with Toby. He glanced at Kimmie, and returned his attention to Sarah. "Uncle Toby? I'm an uncle?"

"Yes," Sarah burst out, as she motioned for Kimmie to come nearer. As soon as she was within reach, Sarah took them both in her arms for a group hug. After they parted, Sarah took Toby's hands in hers and took a good look at him. "Look at you! You're all grown up."

"And you have a family," Toby replied, appraising Kimmie. She looked a bit like he remembered Sarah. He suddenly became serious as he looked again at Sarah. "Why did you leave us?"

"My mom didn't leave," Kimmie answered defensively. "She was disowned!"

"Oh, Kimmie," Sarah replied, "don't speak so harshly to him. He was a little boy when it happened and barely remembers." Sarah took Toby by the hand and led him to the living room, where the three members of the Williams family sat down so they could have a proper family reunion.

Sarah quickly brought Toby up to speed on the events that had transpired which led to her removal from the Williams household.

"Jeez, Sarah! I have a degree, and I don't think I could get by on my own, with a baby, without help!" At first, Toby had refused to believe his parents could be as cold hearted as Sarah had described, but everything she said made sense. Nothing remained in his parents' house which would indicate that Sarah had ever lived there or even been part of the family. They never spoke of her, and the one time they did agree answer a couple of questions when he was old enough, he had been told that she was just a willful young woman who one day just up and left, dropping out of college and never bothering to tell anyone where she could be found. He had always thought it odd that they had never questioned the circumstances of her disappearance and called the police to try to find her. Now he knew why. Sarah's disappearance had been their doing, not hers.

At this point in the conversation, they suddenly became aware of a delightful aroma coming from the dining room. Sarah suddenly realized that she was famished. Jareth then stepped into the living room and invited them all to please join him at the dining table. He had been busy while Toby and Sarah got reacquainted. The spread which he had caused to materialize was worthy of any 5-star restaurant.

"Oh, Jareth, this is lovely!" Sarah exclaimed appreciatively as she led her little family to dinner. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome. I figured it was the least I could do since I sort of ruined our planned dinner for this evening." he replied as he helped her into her seat.

"Dinner?" Toby almost choked. "Do you normally just go out to dinner with people?" He had been trying to puzzle out just how Jareth had appeared to him tonight, rather than any other time he had randomly said "I wish" or for that matter, why he didn't appear to other people, and he was beginning to suspect it may have very little to do with him and everything to do with Sarah.

"No, Toby, I don't normally just go out to dinner with people. I am courting your sister, and as part of my courtship, I taker her out whenever I can spare a few hours away from my duties."

Toby, already overwhelmed with the evening's events, found this one more tidbit of information, extraordinary as it was, quite unremarkable. "Huh," was all he was able to reply in acknowledgement of this fact.

Having nothing further to say, they all ate in silence for several minutes before Kimmie's natural curiosity got the best of her.

"Uncle Toby," she began, "you said you made a wish when you first got here. What was it?"

Toby had been so thoroughly surprised and then excited by the evenings' proceedings, he had completely forgotten the precipitating event, namely that he had made a wish. He suddenly remembered that he had a life quite apart from Sarah and Kimmie, a very real one involving two very domineering parents who he now realized were not to be trifled with.

After hearing what Sarah had been through, his own problems seemed insignificant and he felt foolish for calling upon the mighty Goblin King to come to his aid, albeit unknowingly. "It's nothing important," he finally said.

Sarah looked at him, and with a mother's intuition knew he was lying. "Toby, all hope I ever had of being a big sister to you was taken away from me. I wasn't there for you growing up, but I'd love the chance to be there for you now. If there's anything, anything at all I can help you with, please know that it would be my absolute pleasure to do anything I can, no matter how small."

Toby smiled as he realized his big sister had just made him feel like a wicked little boy who had been caught doing something naughty. She had had been forcibly separated from her family, and now that she had a chance to reclaim a relationship with him, her only brother, he was rebuffing her, in effect keeping the separation intact.

"Okay. But it really isn't that big a deal. It's just that I'm supposed to be going to grad school next year. Mom and dad want me to go to law school, and I've been accepted to Harvard Law, but. . . ."

"But you don't want to be a lawyer, right?" Sarah asked.

"How did you know?" Toby asked incredulously.

"Dad tried really, really hard to get me interested in law, but he and your mom gave up when they realized I really didn't have the grades to justify trying to send me to law school. Besides which, I can't think of anything more boring than working in a law firm. Yet, ironically enough, as a legal assistant, that's just what I do."

Toby sat glumly absorbing every new bit of information the evening had provided him. "For days I've tried to work up the nerve to talk to them. I kept telling myself, what's the worst that could happen? Now after hearing your story, I know what the worst is, and don't know if the tradeoff is worth it."

"Toby, you can't compare your situation to mine. They've already lost one child. They're not likely to do it again, especially since you're all they have left. And even if they do, you won't be alone. I don't have much, but I'll happily share whatever I have to help you out."

"So tell us, Toby, just what is it you want to do?" Jareth asked.

"I want to teach."

Kimmie scrunched up her nose at hearing this. "What, like history or chemistry?"

Toby looked at her and smiled. "No. No offense, but I don't think I could stand working with teenagers. I'd like to work with little kids, maybe in kindergarten when everything is new and wondrous to them."

"Wow," Sarah replied. "That's going to go over well with dad. He had a particular dislike for teachers -"

" - I know," Toby interrupted. "He always said 'those who can, do; those who can't teach.' You'll probably alienate yourself further from them if you take me in while I work on getting a credential."

"Well, it's not like I've had any sort of a relationship with them anyway. At least this way I get to have my brother back."

"And I get an uncle!" Kimmie added eagerly.

Sarah felt a lump form in her throat as she realized how momentous this was for Kimmie. Although they both relished having Jareth in their lives, Toby was family, something which Kimmie had never had. As soon as Kimmie was old enough to understand, Sarah had explained to her why she had no other family. It had was a testament to how well adjusted Kimmie was that she had never felt responsible for the schism. That, and the fact that Sarah had absolutely no regrets about anything which led to her having Kimmie. In fact, the bond between mother and daughter was so strong that Kimmie could only feel resentment toward her grandparents for treating Sarah the way they had.

Despite the fact that neither of them had ever felt they lacked anything, Sarah reflected how life had improved substantially in the last year since Jareth came into their lives. She was palpably happier. Not that she'd been unhappy before, she had just always been so preoccupied with making sure she could make ends meet that she'd never had time to realize she was lonely.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Toby, who had been contemplating the exceptional circumstances which brought him here. He had thought the Goblin King was a product of Sarah's imagination, yet here he was in the flesh, apparently dating her. "How did you two meet?"

Sarah tensed at hearing this question. She looked up at Jareth who matched her panicked gaze. She then looked at Toby. "How did we meet?" she repeated, stalling while she figured out how to answer without hurting his feelings or worse, offending him.

Jareth, feeling as put out by the question as Sarah was, also fumbled stupidly. "How did we meet, precious thing?"

It was Kimmie who tried to salvage the situation, and offered the following explanation: "When mom was about my age, she accidentally wished away something very, very valuable to her, and Jareth, being very obliging at granting wishes, took it. Mom immediately regretted it, and Jareth offered her a chance to win it back."

Sarah was both amazed and grateful that Kimmie's cool head had been able to come up with a truthful explanation which did not involve revealing Toby's role in her running of the Labyrinth.

"Yes," Jareth affirmed after a few seconds. "That's exactly how it happened."

Toby stared at the three of them suspiciously. There had to be more to the story, because things just didn't add up. "Well then, why did Sarah have to go it alone when Kimmie was born? If you care so much about her, why didn't you help her?"

"I would gladly have done anything to make her life easier, but she banished me from her life after completing the Labyrinth challenge."

Toby looked at Sarah. "You banished him? Why? You make friends with a magical being who goes around granting wishes, and rather than take advantage of it, you banish him?"

"Yes, Sarah," Jareth continued. "I've always wondered at your reasoning, particularly in light of the fact that I did offer you your dreams."

"My dreams? Are you joking? Did you seriously expect me to accept my dreams in exchange for Toby?

"Most people are only too happy to accept them after they wish someone away," Jareth replied matter-of-factly.

Kimmie groaned at hearing her mother and Jareth reveal too much information as they began yet another spat. This particular argument, however, was interrupted by an outburst from Toby.

"ME? You wished me away? WHY!?"

"Toby, I'm so sorry!" Sarah blurted out apologetically as she realized her mistake. "I never meant for you to know. Yes, I did wish you away, and I'll forever be ashamed of it. But I was a horrible, spoiled and selfish teenager. "

"I'll certainly vouch for that!" Jareth interjected. Sarah shot him a venomous glare, but at the moment she was more interested in trying to smooth things over with her brother than picking a fight, so she said nothing. Jareth, realizing how narrowly he had just avoided yet another major blow-up with Sarah, he did his best to try to defuse the situation. "When your sister realized what she had done, she fought valiantly for your return. Besides, it had not been done maliciously. She never really meant it when she spoke the words that summoned me."

It took a moment for Jareth's meaning to sink in. She then looked at him in disbelief, Toby momentarily forgotten. "Hold on! If you knew I didn't mean it, then what was the point of your demented little challenge! I could have died!"

"By the gods, Sarah, you know the power of words! Meaning is irrelevant when you correctly invoke a spell. And besides, you were never in any real danger."

"Not in any real danger? Need I remind you of the cleaners? And the fierys tried to remove my head!"

Toby's injured pride was forgotten as he realized what discord he had caused. After all, everything had all turned out all right. Sarah had fought for him, and he was returned, unhurt and with no memory of the event. He looked at Kimmie and mouthed the words, "I'm sorry," but she just rolled her eyes.

"Relax, you'd be surprised at how often they do this," she said, seemingly unaffected by the icy glares Sarah and Jareth were exchanging. "They argue, and just when you think they're about to come to blows, one of them apologizes and everything is fine. Until the next time."

"Well, I'm certainly not apologizing this time!" Sarah declared standoffishly.

"But Sarah, darling, we never would have met if I hadn't answered your call," Jareth cooed seductively.

Sarah glared at him, momentarily unsure whether she really was better off with him in her life. She sighed, resigned to the fact that she was truly in love with this infuriating, handsome, irksome, kind, annoying, loving man. "You're right. Even if I'd never heard of you, I'd still be here, disowned and alone with Kimmie. And I'd still have no brother. So thank you. For everything."

Jareth looked at her tenderly. "You know I would do anything for you, love."

With dinner finished and the evening wearing on, Toby hesitantly looked at Jareth and spoke. "It's getting late, and I should probably be getting home. . . ."

"Of course," Jareth replied. "My services are at your disposal."

"So soon?" Sarah asked sadly.

Toby hesitated. "I'm sorry. But I until I've had it out with mom and dad, I still answer to them."

As the four rose to say their goodbyes, Kimmie spoke first. "Uncle Toby, we will see you again, won't we?" Her voice was tinged with sadness, revealing a fear that he might not deem this a relationship worth pursuing.

"Of course we'll see each other again. Losing touch with Sarah was never my choice, and now that I have my big sister back, I don't plan on losing her again, or my niece." He gave Kimmie a hug and turned to Sarah fighting valiantly against the tears that were stinging his eyes. "They not only cheated me out of having you in my life as I grew up, they cheated me out of being around Kimmie. She's practically grown up, and I've just met her."

He pulled out his cell phone to enter Sarah's contact information before leaving. Sarah gave him her address and home telephone number, and she in turn wrote down his cell phone number, email, and the address of a close friend of his where his mail would not be intercepted and disposed of.

Kimmie entered all this information into the cell phone she had received as a gift from Jareth on her last birthday. Sarah doggedly refused to allow herself to be spoiled by Jareth. If she couldn't afford it, they didn't need it. And despite her protestations that he should not spoil Kimmie either, he felt the need to indulge someone. Kimmie was far easier to spoil, as she generally did want the trinkets he offered.

After all the exchanges of information were made, Sarah turned to Toby and gave him a fierce hug. "Whatever you decide, I'll stand by you. You won't be alone." Toby nodded gratefully and kissed her cheek. She then turned to Jareth and gave him an equally enthusiastic embrace. "I don't even know how to begin to thank you." She chastely kissed his cheek and then whispered to him suggestively, "but if you come back later tonight, I'm willing to do whatever I can to show you how grateful I am."

Jareth took her hand and pressed it to his lips. "I'll never refuse an offer to spend more time with you, but as much as I would like to take credit for everything, I would have remained powerless if Toby hadn't made a wish." And if the Labyrinth hadn't been willing to be so accommodating, he mentally added.

Their farewells to the ladies done, Jareth and Toby disappeared in a flurry of glitter.


	10. Chapter 10

Ch. 10

The apartment which Kimmie had grown up in was an absolute mess. Her uncle Toby had been staying with them for the past few months, and he was now officially moving in, occupying the room which her mother, Sarah, was preparing to vacate. She sat glumly watching the flurry of activity as her mother and uncle went hither and thither moving boxes.

Sarah stumbled into the living room under the weight of a particularly unwieldy box.

"Hey, sis, take it easy!" Toby said as he noticed her misstep. "I'll move the heavy stuff for you. You just sit."

The reason Sarah was moving out was that she had finally agreed to return to the Underground with Jareth, and today was the day Jareth had appointed for the move to occur.

Toby was getting ready to begin his second year of studies to get his teaching credential, and Kimmie was finally out of high school and was going to work part-time while she took some classes at the local city college. Sarah decided the two could share the apartment and keep each other company so she and Jareth could begin their life together. It was a situation which should have appealed to all, but Kimmie was not happy about it.

"Cheer up," Toby tried to reassure her. "It won't be so bad. Once your mom is out of the picture, we can live it up by ourselves." He lowered his voice so only she could hear. "No middle-aged hang-ups and restrictions to deal with." He smiled conspiratorially at her. He had grown particularly close to his niece, given how close in age the two were, and was actually looking forward to having her as a proper roommate.

She tried looking at the bright side, and logically, she understood why Sarah was doing this, but it didn't change the simple fact that it was not what she wanted. "It's not fair!" she exclaimed. Sarah glared at her reproachfully. That was a phrase which Sarah did not take kindly to, and which she had taken great lengths to ensure that Kimmie never uttered. However, the goings-on had Kimmie in a sour mood, so she refused to let it go, and muttered, "Well, it isn't."

Sarah had had more than her fill of Kimmie's whining during the past week, so she decided to ignore this most recent outburst.

"Please, mom," Kimmie continued. Sarah may have been done talking about it, but it was clear that Kimmie was not.

"Kimmie, this discussion is over. I've told you how things stand. You'll go to college, get a degree, and then if you want to revisit your request, I'm sure Jareth would be happy to accommodate you."

As if on cue, the lights flickered just before a cascade of glitter announced the arrival of the Goblin King. Sarah smiled brightly at him as he strode toward her. "And how are we feeling today, love?" he asked as he lovingly placed a hand on the swell which was just barely becoming visible on Sarah's abdomen.

"Well, if starved and malnourished is fine, then I guess we're fine," Sarah replied. "But honestly, I can't remember the last time I was able to hold a meal down."

Jareth barely had time to register concern for Sarah and their unborn child before Kimmie pounced on him. "Jareth, please talk to her. She's being totally unreasonable."

Jareth had always deferred parenting decisions to Sarah, particularly in light of the fact that Kimmie was not his daughter, and Sarah had managed so well on her own for so long. Having Kimmie appeal directly to him only made him uncomfortable. "Kimmie, your mother has always done her best by you, and you have to trust her to continue to do so."

"Sweetie," Sarah continued, in yet another attempt to convince her daughter, "you have your entire life ahead of you. You can't make a decision like this before you've even begun to live it. I am not going to take away your opportunity to succeed in life. When I found myself alone, without a degree, without a family, without a job and expecting you, I really had no choices open to me. I had to take whatever came up first and make the best of it. I don't want that for you. I want you to take advantage of everything this world has to offer so you can have choices as to how you want to live."

Kimmie looked sadly at her mother. She knew her mother's life had been tough, and she understood that Sarah did not want to deny her what she had been denied herself. But there was still something Sarah was not getting. "Mom, it wasn't opportunity that was taken from you, it was the ability to choose what you want, and isn't that exactly what you're doing to me? I don't want to go to college, I don't want whatever career a degree, any degree, can give me. I want to go with you, Jareth and the baby and live in the Underground."

"But Kimmie, this is your world. You can't just walk away from it without knowing what it has to offer."

"Mom, this world _sucks_! I've seen how hard you've had to work your whole life just to make my life bearable. And I'm grateful for it. Everything I've ever done has been so I don't disappoint you. But with you gone, I won't have a reason to keep trying. Please don't leave me here!"

Sarah was speechless at realizing that Kimmie was right. She had wanted her daughter to have everything she had been denied, regardless of what Kimmie wanted. "Is this really what you want?" she asked.

"Of course it's what I want."

As mother and daughter tearfully hugged in reconciliation, Toby realized he was about to be left alone. "If Kimmie's going, I want to go too!" he blurted as he felt a knot form in his stomach at the thought of losing the only family he had who didn't judge him. He looked at Jareth expectantly.

"Toby, you understand what you are committing to? Jareth admonished. "This isn't a decision which you can make on the spur of the moment."

Toby nodded mechanically, not at all certain he did understand, but knowing that he was unwilling to be left with two vindictive and disapproving parents as the only family he had.

Sarah was clearly started by this last-minute request. "What about your parents?"

He thought back at their reaction when he told them he would not be attending law school. They had essentially done the same thing they did to Sarah. The only difference was that he had been given the option returning when he "came to his senses." It was an understatement to say they were shocked when he told them he would be moving in with his sister while he pursued his credential.

He had had to stretch the truth a bit about how Sarah was dating a rich and powerful man who had managed to track him down (not a difficult thing to do, since he still called the same house Sarah had grown up in his home) and delivered a message that his sister would like see him, if he was interested. It was all close enough to true, so it really wasn't really lie. It was then that he realized just how much his mother had resented Sarah's presence in their lives. She had been primarily responsible for things turning out the way they did, and she was the one who continued to insist they were all better off without her, despite his father's misgivings. Sarah was his daughter, after all.

"It'll probably be years before they miss me. Ever since I told them I didn't want to go to law school, all contact with them has been initiated by me, and they seem to go out of their way to make me feel like I'm a disappointment. And the whole situation with them refusing to see you and Kimmie. I really don't think I'm interested in maintaining a relationship with people like that, even if they are my parents." He didn't mention that their father had expressed an interest in meeting Kimmie. She was his first, and so far only, grandchild. He knew his niece well enough to know that any invitation that didn't include Sarah would be taken as an insult.

"What about your career?" Sarah continued. Even though she loved her brother very much and would like nothing better than to have him come with them, she wanted to make sure he understood what he was giving up. "Kimmie may not want one, but you've been determined to do this since before you came back into our lives."

Toby's whole demeanor changed. He bristled with excitement at this new prospect. "I can teach the goblins! They're about as child-like as you can get, and are desperately in need of an education."

Jareth was dubious of anyone being able to teach the little cretins he called subjects anything, but he was not about to say anything to dissuade Toby. In fact, he was quite touched at how all of these people were arguing over how many of them got to go home with him.

For the briefest moment, Toby looked somber, but it was quickly replaced by enthusiasm as he considered a future he had never even dreamt of. He again looked at Jareth. "What do you say? Is there room in your kingdom for one more human?"

Jareth's heart was filled with joy as he took stock of the people surrounding him. He had come today to collect his beloved queen, the woman who now carried his heir, and was returning with a complete ready-made family.

He turned to Kimmie with a twinkle in his eye. "Choose your right words, Kimmie.

Kimmie grinned broadly as she uttered the same words her own mother had said all those years ago. "I wish the goblins would come and take us away - right now!"

And in a flash, the apartment was empty, save for a generous dusting of glitter in the middle of the living room. In his joy, Jareth performed one kindness to the people who had made life so difficult for his beloved Sarah. Robert and Karen Williams never grieved for the son and who had so disappointed them, because to the best of their knowledge, they never had any children, not even a willful, rebellious daughter. To all outward appearances, the Williams children had never even existed. All memory of them disappeared from our world. But down in the Underground, they became the stuff of legend.

* * *

Author's Note: So there it is. I hope the ending lived up to everyone's expectations. Please review and let me know your thoughts. And once again, thank you to everyone who favorited/bookmarked this story. I'm overwhelmed by your response. I'll probably post another story later this year, but it will likely be in another fandom.


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